


An Underrated Type of Trouble

by anchortied



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Fluff, Head Boy Harry, Louis causes Trouble and Harry likes him so much he lets him, M/M, Pining, mention of Hagrid - Freeform, troublemaker louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 11:34:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10875939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anchortied/pseuds/anchortied
Summary: When Harry walked through the doors of the Great Hall his mind didn't immediately register what he was seeing.A chorus of giggles started throughout the hall. A few coughs and the sounds of muffled, embarrassed laughter. Some shocked gasps, but not many.Harry, who had been readjusting the badge on his chest, glanced up.When his brain finally caught up to him, a horrified look settled onto his face.Everyone was doing their best to remain still in fear of alerting the ghosts. The Hogwarts ghosts. The ones who, currently, had an array of different, multicolored and silly hats on their transparent heads.Harry was dumbfounded. All he could do was stare, his hands hovering above the badge he, moments before, had been trying to straighten. His mouth formed a big, round ‘O’ and all of the blood went rushing to his face.How had he done this? Harry thought, for there was no doubt in his mind that this was the work of Louis Tomlinson_Or, Harry is the Head Boy, Louis is a troublemaker and they both like each other too much to get in each other's way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [demiboyharrie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/demiboyharrie/gifts).



> Wow, so I know this has taken me forever to send in, which I apologize for! Sometimes life sort of gets the better of you, but I'm really happy I was able to finish it.  
> This was so much fun to write, thank you so much demiboyharrie for such amazing prompts. It was very hard for me to choose which one to do and when I did I sort of changed it up. I hope you like it!  
> Thank you to the admin as well for setting up this exchange, you've done a wonderful job! It was the most fun I've ever had during an exchange.  
> Anyway, I really hope you all enjoy this, thank you so much for taking the time to read it!

A bleak and rainy carriage ride to the castle did not bode well with Harry. He had been hoping, upon his arrival for his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, to step out to a gloriously sunny and beautiful day, a day that promised good things. A day in which he could, by some small glimmer of hope, summon the extra strength to make his last first day not go horribly wrong.

Sitting there in the carriage, alone and slightly wet, Harry did not have high hopes. If anything, his hopes had been completely dashed, not when he stepped onto the train to a light drizzle, nor when the distant sound of thunder reverberated through the train, but when the first strike of lightning hit the distant horizon. That, of course, meant all was lost.

Harry did not want to make the impression that he was not a very positive person, though. He was, in fact,  _ incredibly _ positive. He was so positive in fact that it annoyed people. Actually, it practically repelled people-

“Are people actually repelled by your positivity?” 

Harry looked up from his writing, his mouth slightly open.

“I’m sorry?” He asked, puzzled. 

The person who had spoken, a seventh year he had never met before with blue eyes and a green tie, raised his eyebrows. 

“You look surprised. Didn’t you know you were reading aloud?”

Harry, who had  _ not _ known he was reading aloud, felt a quick spark and then his whole face was aflame. He felt the blush practically spread through to his toes, and then, as he struggled to find the words to even  _ begin _ explaining himself, the boy was talking again.

“You didn’t,” he said, and his eyes weren’t really  _ mocking _ , but they were  _ something _ that wasn’t necessarily bad, but didn’t seem good either. “Tell me something,” he continued. “Why do you speak in the third person?”

Harry suddenly found that he could speak. 

“It’s- a form of- supposed to help with sorting out my nerves- not supposed to hear-”

Harry felt himself go even redder as he fumbled. Apparently he could speak, just not in coherent sentences. 

“Nerves?” The boy said, curiously. Harry felt his stomach drop. “What are you nervous about?”

By way of response, Harry brought his hand up to point to the shiny new Head Boy badge pinned to his chest.

The other boy stared at it for a second before his face split into a very wide grin.

“You’re the Head Boy,” he stated, and Harry, uncomfortable by the wideness of his smile, only nodded.

The boy laughed then, a second long laugh that seemed more out of surprise than anything else.

“I’m not laughing at you,” the boy said, quickly. “I promise, I’m not.”

Harry seriously doubted that. “What are you laughing at, then?”

The boy shrugged, looking almost sheepish. “I’m laughing at the... _ situation _ we’re in.”

Harry’s brow furrowed. “I don't understand. We’re in a carriage on our way to Hogwarts, that doesn’t seem like a strange situation to me.”

“Well,” the boy said, glancing away, “it’s not. Well, it usually wouldn’t be. It’s just that-”

“Just that, what?”

The boy sighed, bringing his hand up to swipe across his lip in a way that made Harry think it was a habit.  “Look, Harry you seem like a really nice guy. A bit strange, in a good way, and I just want you to know that it’s not personal.”

“ _ What’s _ not personal?” Harry asked.

“See, the thing is,” the boy said, as though Harry hadn’t interrupted, “it’s my last year at Hogwarts. Yours too, I know, which means you have just as much as a right to enjoy it as I do. However, since it’s my last year, I’ve sort of got a lot of things planned.”

Harry narrowed his eyes. “What  _ things _ ?”

The boy waved him away, continuing, “And since you seem really nice I don’t want to give you the impression that what I’ve got planned has anything to do with you being Head Boy. It doesn’t. My only goal here is to have as much fun this year as possible, if only to have the memories once real life starts.”

Harry stared at the boy, his mouth slightly agape. His hands, he suddenly found, were in anxious fists on his lap and his foot was tapping quickly against the floor. 

“ _ What _ does any of that _ mean?”  _ Harry burst out, his fists unclenching.

The boy flinched, and Harry noted that he looked incredibly apologetic, if not pitying. It was driving Harry crazy.

“Who are you, anyway?” Harry snapped.

The boy smiled, slightly, holding out a hand. Harry stared at it. “Louis Tomlinson.”

Comprehension flooded Harry’s brain.

_ Louis Tomlinson _ . 

Despite having no real indication of this boy’s identity, Harry should have known, should have guessed at who he really was. He’d heard enough about him. He’d heard the stories of his practical jokes in the classroom and the hallways, heard about his cheek and his flagrant disregard for the rules. The teachers, who all admired Harry to a certain degree, had told him firsthand how much trouble Louis Tomlinson had caused.

They had never crossed paths though. Harry had never found this strange; it wasn't like the Hufflepuff and the Slytherins had any sort of close camaraderie like Hufflepuff did with the other houses. They had no reason to meet really, unless by chance, like now. Harry had no reason to ever really see the famous Louis Tomlinson. 

Except here he was, the only other person in the carriage with him, not only doing nothing wrong, but _ warning _ Harry of the various ways he was going to disrupt the castle during the upcoming year.

Harry had no idea what to make of it. No idea at all.

“You’ve heard of me,” Louis grimaced, lowering his hand.  “That’s not a surprise, with you being Head Boy and all.”

Harry took a breath, still unsure of what to say but deciding to take a crack at it anyway. “Yeah, I've heard of you. You've caused a lot of trouble over the years.”

Louis smiled and it wasn't self satisfying or smug like Harry expected it to be. It was rueful, and still slightly apologetic. 

“I've heard of you too, by the way. All the teachers love you, and most of the students do too.” Louis looked like he wanted to add something else, and Harry waited a beat for him to say whatever else he had to say, but Louis remained silent.

“Well...thank you.” Harry said, unsure. “Even though you're going to make my life more difficult this year, that was nice of you to say.”

Louis grimaced. “I promise Harry, it's not personal. I hadn't known you were going to be Head Boy before I started planning, although I guess I should have suspected-”

“What do you mean you didn't know I would be Head Boy?” Harry cut Louis off, his tone more curious than anything else. “Why would that matter?”

Louis glanced away, looking uncomfortable and as though he hadn't actually meant to say that the way he did. “Just that if I had known I might not have gone to such extremes this year. I mean I still would have  _ done _ things, you know you can't just  _ not  _ cause  _ some _ trouble for your final year. I would have eased it up a bit though, had I known.” Louis was rambling now and Harry could only stare, even more confused than before Louis had started to answer his question. Or evade his question more like.

“So,” Harry said, pausing as Louis met Harry eye, the blueness of them slightly startling him. “What have you got planned?”

Louis’ eyes widened slightly. “Thats sort of a surprise.”

Harry nodded, slumping back in his seat. “Lovely. So you're just going to warn me about the trouble you're going to cause, but you're not going to tell me exactly what  _ kind _ of trouble.”

Louis stared at Harry, and Harry noticed a slight twitch at the side of his mouth, as though he were trying to contain a smile. Realizing this, Harry suddenly had to fight a smile himself. 

Harry was better at concealing his humor it seemed, because Louis suddenly gave in as his face split into a grin. 

“If I told you what I was going to do, you'd put a stop to it. That wouldn't be fair.” 

Harry snorted, still trying to fight back his smile. “I think stopping you from destroying the castle is incredibly fair.”

Louis laughed. “Don't be dramatic, I'm not going to destroy the castle. It's practically impossible anyway, I tried in my third year-”

“You  _ what? _ ” Harry asked, aghast.

Louis laughed again, the look on Harry's face apparently making him quite giggly.

“I'm joking, Harry. Don't Hufflepuffs have a sense of humor?” 

Harry sighed, rolling his eyes. “Don't Slytherins have tact?” 

Louis smiled. “I believe I do. I just warned you of my plans, didn't I?”

“And I'm the dramatic one. The way you keep saying ‘my plans’ sounds like you're plotting to overthrow the government or something.” 

“The government, no,” Louis said. “The school board, maybe. I'm not sure I approve of their obvious disapproval of flooding all of the toilets in the fourth floor boys bathroom. I thought it was great fun. They, however, did not.” 

Harry laughed, surprised. “Wait, that was  _ you _ last year?” Louis nodded. “We never figured out who did that! I can't believe it was you!”

Louis raised an eyebrow. “Can't you?”

“Well I can, of course,” Harry said, quickly.  “It's just, there was no evidence, no magical trace to lead back to you, or anyone else for that matter. It was incredibly frustrating, not knowing.”

“Simple wizards,” Louis said, shaking his head. “Thinking magic is the only way to get things done.” Harry almost smacked his forehead at the realization.

“Oh my God,” he muttered. “It makes so much sense now! We didn't find a magical trace because you messed with the pipes without using magic! That's genius!”

Louis laughed, looking pleased, his cheeks slightly flushed. “You think so?”

Harry’s grin faded. “Well,” he paused. “From a student standpoint, yes it's- it's pretty funny. From a Head Boy standpoint, however-”

“It's not,” Louis finished, good naturedly. 

It was quiet for a moment, as Harry stared at Louis and Louis stared at Harry, the sounds of rain pattering against the window and thunder booming distantly. 

“So, those  _ plans _ you have,” Harry said. “Are they anything like flooding the fourth floor boys toilets?”

Louis smiled. “Yes, in the sense that they're just as funny, if not funnier.” 

Harry nodded. “Great.”

Louis laughed, and as Harry watched he decided something. 

“Look,” Harry started. “ I don't want to pretend that I approve of what you're planning, whatever it is, because I don't. However, I get the feeling that trying to stop you is going to be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. So I'm not going to try.”

Louis’ brow furrowed. “What do you mean, Harry?” 

Harry ignored the quick jolt in his stomach at Louis’ use of his name.

“I mean that I'm not going to try to stop you from doing what you're doing. I'll just stay out of your way this year and let you do your thing, make your memories, all that you said. I won't try to stop you or tell on you or anything.”

Louis’ eyes got round, his eyebrows raising in amazement. “Well, thank you. That's very- kind.” 

“But I can't help you if you get caught,” Harry said. 

“Of course not!” Louis said quickly, laughing slightly. “I wouldn't expect you to. That's not why I told you about my plans either, by the way. I just wanted to warn you, because you're a nice person and-”

“I know,” Harry smiled. “And you're a nice person too, as least from what I’ve seen so far.” 

Louis grinned, causing Harry to grin back. 

The carriage suddenly came to a halt, causing Harry to lurch forward slightly, then back. Louis reached out then pulled back, as though it were instinctive, his cheeks warming in embarrassment. 

“Looks like we're here,” he said, quickly. “It was really nice meeting you Harry, I'll see you around.” 

And before Harry could respond he had flicked open the door and jumped out of the carriage into the pounding rain outside.

  
  


Louis jumped out of the carriage, his heart beating wildly, his face a whole mess of red. Quickly, before Harry could follow him, Louis walked through the muddy slush towards the castle, weaving between the mess of students who were all spilling out of their own carriages. He took the steps up to the front door in a flash, skipping every other step and practically flying into the entry hall.

“Tomlinson, slow down!” Professor Mcgonagall barked.

“Sorry!” Louis said back, slowing. The Headmistress watched with piercing and firm eyes as he walked quickly into the Great Hall and Louis waved slightly, cheerily at her. She sighed and continued on her way into the hall as well, heading in the direction of the teachers table. 

Louis shook his hair out as he sat down at the Slytherin table, his eyes darting around for any sign of Harry. When he didn’t see him, he slumped down in his seat and groaned.

He had just been in a carriage with  _ Harry Styles _ . And he had been an absolute  _ fool _ .

Not only did Louis have to admit to Harry that he was planning to be an absolute pain for their final year, but he had also had to  _ explain _ to Harry that it had nothing to do with him being Head Boy, as if Harry really truly cared about Louis or the reasons for his troublemaking. 

Louis sighed, absently swiping across his bottom lip. “Fucking typical,” he muttered.

This didn’t change anything though, Louis decided. Just because Louis met the boy he had been lusting after for the past five years did not mean it would stop him from having the best last year possible. There was no way that the image of Harry’s innocent green eyes and sunshine smile would make Louis cease his trouble making or put an end to his plans.

His plans. Louis fought the urge to smile, turning his lips down into a forced frown instead. 

“I can do this,” he whispered, knowing he probably looked like a real idiot. 

 

Harry walked into the entrance hall, shaking his head and flicking water onto the already wet stone floor. Glancing up in case of Peeves, (he had dropped water bombs on the students the previous year as a prank) he made his way past the staircase and into the Great Hall, the warmth immediately comforting him.

“Hey, Harry!”

Harry turned at the sound of Michael’s voice, his mouth splitting into an easy smile.

“Michael!” Harry said, brightly. “It’s good to see you!”

Michael, who sported a red and gold tie and a matching smile, clapped Harry on the shoulder.

“You too, Harry. I missed you on the train, didn’t get to congratulate you,” Michael said, gesturing to the pin on Harry’s chest. 

Harry smiled, if possible, wider.

“Thanks, Michael,” He said. “How was your summer?”

Michael started what Harry knew would be a very detailed recount of his summer, one that Harry noted consisted considerably of him practicing Quidditch and doing magic behind his parent’s backs. As he was speaking, Harry suddenly had the strange feeling that someone was watching him.

Out of instinct, Harry turned his head, catching the eyes of Louis Tomlinson.

Louis smiled, almost in embarrassment, but didn’t look away or show any other sign of being chagrined at being caught. Harry, who was starting to realize that refusing a smile from him would be near impossible, could only hold himself back enough not to beam like an idiot. He smiled, knowing it might be a losing battle anyway.

“Harry? Why are you making that face?” 

Harry snapped back, his grin fading. “What face?”

Michael frowned. “I don’t know, like someone is stepping on your toes- but you like it.”

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. “Strange description…” he mumbled.

“Michael!” Someone called, and they both turned. Michael waved at one of his friends, mouthing that he’d be there in a minute.

“Good catching up, Harry,  see you on the Quidditch pitch!” Michael said, nudging Harry’s shoulder before hurrying back to his table, Harry feeling only the slightest pinch in his stomach as he did so.

Harry stared after him a moment before he turned and began walking towards the Hufflepuff table. Because he couldn’t resist, and because he was rapidly losing any sense of impulse control, Harry glanced up at Louis, who was no longer watching him, but was discussing something very animatedly with another Slytherin. Harry stared, watching as his hands gesticulated and his mouth moved quickly, his movements somehow mesmerizing. Harry thought, though he would never admit to this out loud, that he could watch him for hours-

Harry sucked in a breath as he promptly knocked into someone, causing them to spill to the ground, letting out a loud  _ oomph _ . 

“Shit, I’m so sorry!” Harry said, bending down to help the girl, who looked no older than a second year.  The girl, who looked shaken, widened her eyes at Harry’s wording. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Harry rushed, wincing at the absolute wreck of a job he was doing. “Here, I’ll help you up. ” He reached out a hand, which, after a moment’s hesitation, she took, blushing furiously. 

“There you go,” Harry said as he pulled her to her feet, letting her steady herself. As he pulled his hand from her grasp, she looked up at him with wide eyes. 

“Thank you!” She squeaked before rushing away, Harry staring after her.

“Well it was my fault…” He trailed off, immediately glancing over to where Louis sat, hoping he was still engaged in conversation with his friend.

He wasn’t. 

Louis had been watching and had his hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking. Harry glared, forcing down the smile he knew wanted to break free. Composing his face, Louis raised his hand in a thumbs up, mouthing the words, ‘You’re doing great’.

Harry rolled his eyes, but finally grinned nonetheless.

 

After an amazing feast and the beginning of the year announcements, Harry trudged past the stairs in the direction of the kitchens with the rest of the Hufflepuffs. He walked near the back, slightly behind, choosing to let the years new prefects take the lead, seeing as they were all too eager to begin their new reign of rule enforcing. 

As he walked, casting surveying glances at the young crowd of Hufflepuffs, watching for any rowdiness just in case, Harry considered when to hold tryouts for this years Hufflepuff Quidditch team. 

As Harry absently mused over the new positions (currently there was one beater and two chasers open), his finger toying with a frayed string on his robe, he heard a shout behind him.

“Hey! Head Boy!” 

Harry turned, recognizing the voice, trying to control his expression as Louis sped up to him. 

“Louis, what a surprise,” Harry said.

Louis tilted his head. “Is it?” He asked. “I mean, we do go to the same school, and you do pass by the main stairs on the way to your common room, the same ones  _ I _ pass by to get to  _ my _ common room near the dungeons-

“I think I get the point,” Harry said, laughing. “What’s up?”

Louis suddenly looked abashed.

“Oh no,” Harry said, cringing back slightly. “Are you about to give me another weird warning? One that I’m going to have to ignore because I already promised that I wouldn’t stop you from your evil plans?”

Louis laughed, his cheeks coloring. “Sort of.”

Harry shook his head, sighing. “Great, what is it?”

“Well, see, it’s the beginning of the year-”

“I am aware.”

“And seeing as it’s the beginning of my  _ last _ year here, I sort of have something planned for tomorrow.”

“Hm,” Harry said, crossing his arms. “What is this, ‘something’?”

“Ah,” Louis rocking back on his heels. “See, here’s the part I knew would be a bit of a chore trying to explain. The thing is, I can’t tell you  _ what _ I’m doing, only that I’m going to do it.”

“What?” Harry asked indignantly. “Why not?”

Louis smiled. “That would ruin the fun.”

“But then why let me know you were planning anything at all?”

Louis shrugged. “Because...you’re nice, I guess.”

“Oh right, you told me that earlier,” Harry sighed.

Louis smiled, shaking his head slightly. “Yes, I did, and I meant it. You're nice. Extremely nice. And I just wanted you to be fairly warned that something was going to happen, you know? So you wouldn’t be surprised.”

Harry suddenly and inexplicably felt like a small piece of sunshine had decided to nestle in his chest. It was a peculiar feeling, especially considering the circumstances, but it wasn’t an unpleasant one, so Harry decided to let it stay.

Despite this feeling, all Harry could think to say was, “You’re the strangest Slytherin I’ve ever met.”

Louis laughed then, as if before he had been holding his breath for Harry’s reaction but had been pleasantly surprised. 

“Thanks,” Louis replied. “You’re exactly the type of Hufflepuff I always thought they should be.”

Harry felt a flutter in his stomach and his cheeks warmed in embarrassment, but before he could comment on that, if he could even find the words, Louis was turning away, heading back towards the stairs in the entry way.

“You’re doing great by the way, at this whole Head Boy thing,” Louis said suddenly, turning back towards Harry. “You shouldn’t be worried or anything, I think you’ve got it handled.”

Harry stared. “Thank you,” he said, his eyes wide, feeling like his face had never been redder in his life. 

Louis nodded, grinning, and then turned on his heels and walked away, the swish of his robes disappearing around the corner.

Harry let out a breath. If this was how every conversation with Louis was going to go, Harry would have to find some sort of potion that would keep his cheeks from going red, if only to save himself an incredible amount of embarrassment.

  
  


Harry woke up the next day incredibly anxious. As the sun shone brilliantly through the low window in the boy’s dormitories, the storm from yesterday a mere memory, Harry couldn’t stop thinking about two things: his first official day as Head Boy and Louis Tomlinson.

Practically speaking, the former should be incredibly easy. The first day of term usually consisted of sleepy students just getting used to a regular sleeping schedule again and of teachers trying to impose some sort of motivation on the students to do their schoolwork. The first day wasn’t necessarily hard, it was more of a transitional day in which the first years got to get a glimpse of what the next seven years would be like and for the more older students to get used to their new schedules. It was supposed to be an easy first day for everyone.

Everyone did not necessarily have to deal with Louis Tomlinson on their first day though. At least, they didn't have to deal with him as Head Boy. 

Despite Louis warning him of his upcoming plans( Harry had to smile slightly to himself) his mind was in no way eased at the idea of having to face whatever Louis had decided to set up for the first day. This was especially true since Harry had also, for some inexplicable reason, decided to tell Louis he wouldn’t make an effort to stop him.

Harry wondered, surprisingly for the first time, why he had decided to do that. Why  _ had _ he told Louis he wouldn’t interfere with his plans? Was it truly because it was nice or was it for some other strange reason that had to do with the annoying butterflies in his stomach?

It’s the blue eyes, a voice in Harry’s head concluded. It had to be the blue eyes. 

Well, Harry decided, whatever it was, he already told Louis he wouldn’t interfere, and Harry was always true to his word. 

With a sigh Harry got out of bed and dressed carefully, pinning the  Head Boy’s badge back onto his chest. After a quick glance at the mirror that hung on the far side of the wall, Harry made his way out of the boy’s dormitories and then the Hufflepuff common room itself.

When Harry walked through the doors of the Great Hall his mind didn't immediately register what he was seeing. 

A chorus of giggles started throughout the hall. A few coughs and the sounds of muffled, embarrassed laughter. Some shocked gasps, but not many. 

Harry, who had been readjusting the badge on his chest, glanced up.

When his brain finally caught up to him, a horrified look settled onto his face.

Everyone was doing their best to remain still in fear of alerting the ghosts. The Hogwarts ghosts. The ones who, currently, had an array of different, multicolored and silly hats on their transparent heads.  _ On the ghosts _ .

Harry was dumbfounded. All he could do was stare, his hands hovering above the badge he, moments before, had been trying to straighten. His mouth formed a big, round ‘O’ and all of the blood went rushing to his face. 

_ How had he done this?  _ Harry thought, for there was no doubt in his mind that this was the work of Louis Tomlinson. 

“ _ How?” _ Harry muttered to himself, staring around the room.

“ ‘Bit strange, isn’t?” said a voice next to Harry’s ear. Harry looked at Louis, who was surveying the room, curiously. “I wonder why they haven’t noticed?”

Louis looked at Harry then, as though expecting him to offer some sort of explanation, which made Harry all the more at a loss.

“How- what- Louis,  _ how _ did you  _ do _ this?” Harry finally stuttered out.

Louis smiled, “Told you I’d been planning something. And trust me, I have been planning it for quite some time.”

“But-but” Harry said, turning back to look at the ghosts, who were still unaware of what they had on their heads. “Their hats look so real! I mean -they look solid!”

“That’s because they are,” Louis replied, simply.

“But,  _ how? _ ” Harry asked again.

“With great difficulty,” Louis said mysteriously.

Harry stared at him in disbelief. It was silent for a moment, while Harry stared and Louis smiled, almost bracingly.

Finally, Harry said: “Are you- are you going to let them know anytime soon?”

Looking as though the thought hadn’t yet occurred to him, Louis shrugged. 

“I supposed I ought to,” He replied.

And before Harry could say anything else Louis walked right up to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor House ghost, and said, quite cheerily, “Nice hat, Nick.”

Nick opened his mouth to reply, glancing up. Before he started yelling, alerting to the rest of the ghost what they had previously failed to notice, Harry saw Louis flash him a grin before disappearing into the sudden crowd of students.

Harry sighed, forcing down a grin of his own before joining the fray.

 

After Harry had calmed down the ghosts enough to get them to hold still, and a prefect from Gryffindor had gotten Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, all of the ghosts’ heads were effectively hatless. Harry watched at Flitwick spelled them away with a quick wave of his wand, shaking his head slightly while doing so. 

As Professor Flitwick ushered the ghosts out of the hall, Harry asked, for what seemed like the millionth time, “How did he do that?”

Flitwick said, vaguely, as though he didn’t want to give anyone else any ideas.  “It’s not extremely difficult.” With a sharp look at the Slytherin table, he continued on, squeakily, “A simple charm from a book in the restricted section would do the trick.”

“I wonder how he got into the restricted section,” Harry wondered, mostly to himself.

Professor Flitwick smiled, “Oh, I’m sure Louis Tomlinson has his ways.”

Harry looked at the professor in surprise. “Professor, you knew it was him? How?”

Professor Flitwick’s eyes twinkled. “Isn’t it always Louis Tomlinson, these days?”

Harry watched as he left the Great Hall, humming a little tune as he went. 

As Harry walked out, his bag slung over his shoulder, going through the scramble in the Great Hall over again in his head, his cheeks reddening.

Whatever Harry had expected of Louis on the first day it was definitely not  _ that _ .

“Did Flitwick manage to sort it all out?”

Harry started as Louis appeared suddenly beside him. Louis laughed. “Sorry,” he said, briefly touching Harry’s elbow, making Harry’s heart jump all over again. “I don’t mean to keep sneaking up on you.”

“ S’ okay,” Harry said, smiling slightly. “He managed it all right,” Harry continued, “Said you probably found the charm that did it in the restricted section. Did you?”

Louis looked away sheepishly and Harry had to laugh.

“You  _ did _ ! Who was dumb enough to give you permission to do that?”

“Well,” Louis said, carefully. “Technically, nobody did.”

“What do you mean, ‘nobody? You mean you just walked into the restricted section without a slip signed by a teacher and Madam Pince let you?” Harry asked in disbelief. Harry had never heard of Madam Pince doing anything like that. He was sure she’d rather let a student be cursed before she gave up one of her precious restricted books without a slip.

“She didn’t really have a choice…” Louis trailed off. “Especially since when I went it was a midnight and I had put a  Disillusionment Charm on myself, which made me invisible.”

Harry stared. He knew he ought to have been angry for the dozen or so rules Louis had just admitted to breaking, but he wasn’t. 

“You...can effectively perform a Disillusionment Charm on yourself?” 

Louis nodded.

“That- that is  _ very _ advanced magic, especially if you were able to completely conceal yourself.” Harry said, incredibly impressed.

Louis cheeks went pink and he smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. “Thank you,” he said.

“You’re really smart, aren’t you?”

Louis raised his eyebrows, his cheeks going a deeper shade of red. “Well, I’d like to think so. Are you always this nice to people who have broken the rules?”

Harry laughed, because he couldn’t help it. “No, not at all,” he said, which made Louis grin.

Suddenly, the bells began to ring, signaling the beginning of the first classes of the day. Louis looked at Harry, still grinning, before reaching out and taking his hand. Harry, whose mind suddenly went blank, let him.

“See you around, Harry. I’ll let you know when I’m planning my next big prank.” Louis said, pumping Harry’s hand up and down twice before letting go.

“Oh, please don’t,” Harry groaned, before he could stop himself. As he took his hand back, he fingers brushed Louis’ slightly. “I mean, you too, I’ll see you around.” 

Louis laughed and backed away, waving cheerily before he finally turned around a corridor and out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

The first couple weeks of classes passed uneventfully from that point on.While Harry assumed Louis’ stunt in the Great Hall on the first day was only the first of many, he was sure it was at least the only one for a while. Even he, who had never really had a knack for causing trouble, knew that instrumenting two separate, but equally huge stunts so close together would only help to drown out the first, thus making it less memorable as time went on. Harry was sure Louis wanted his prank to be memorable.

In fact, as Harry went about his classes and Head Boy duties the first couple of weeks, he heard talk of it being in the same league as the infamous Weasley Twins, who, years and years ago, had been the most notorious pranksters in probably all of Hogwarts history.

That was what Harry heard, anyway. Not that he payed much attention. If anything, he had so much on his mind, what with determining the date for Quidditch tryouts, dealing with Head Boy duties and doing the already massive load of homework for his N.E.W.T classes, he hardly payed attention to what everyone was saying about Louis at all.  _ Especially _ his notorious knack for causing trouble. And he was most definitely not constantly thinking of him, casting searching looks around the corridors every time he walked down them to his classes in hopes of catching a quick glimpse of him as he walked, or even getting a quick chat out of him. No, he was not thinking about that at all.

Even as Harry walked the corridors on his way to Transfiguration, his bag slung over his shoulder and a book open in his hands, his eyes scanning the words as he walked, he did not occasionally look up in hopes of seeing one blue eyed troublemaker. He did, however hear the distinct sounds of giggling behind him. 

Glancing back, Harry narrowed his eyebrows suspiciously. There was a group of second years trailing behind him, their heads bend towards what looked like a magazine, it’s cover glossy and bright. They payed no attention to Harry, or any of their other surroundings for that matter, but continued to laugh, turning each page with an air of excitement that Harry found not only annoying, but very dubious. 

“Hey,” Harry said, stopping suddenly. The group, of which was consisted entirely of girls, halted at his voice, looking up quickly. Many of them, at seeing Harry, blanched. The others blushed.

“What’s that you’ve got there?” Harry asked, pointing at the magazine in one of the girl’s hands.

She blushed furiously, snapping the magazine closed with a squeak, looking quickly at the other girls around her. When they did not come to her aid, she looked up at Harry, fearful.

“Nothing,” She said, glancing to the left. “Just something we found…”

“Let me see it then,” Harry said holding out his hand.

The girl looked as though she would rather hand over one of her limbs but, after a reproachful look at the badge on Harry’s chest, reached out and handed him the magazine, turning her face down guiltily. 

Harry flipped open the magazine, his eyes doing a quick scan of the pages, feeling all of the heat in his body rush to his face. Oh. 

_ Oh. _

While the outside must have been charmed to look like a regular magazine, the inside was most certainly not. As Harry stared blankly at the page, his brain struggled to comprehend how these  _ children _ had gotten a hold of such a thing. For Harry was mostly certainly looking at a cleverly disguised piece erotica. 

Harry looked up at the girls, who avoided his gaze, every single face pink and embarrassed.

Harry cleared his throat, trying to sound stern, praying hie didn’t sound as embarrassed a she felt. “Where- er- where did you get this?”

The girls casted quick looks at each other, their eyes wide. Finally, one looked at Harry and said, squeakily, “We found it in the library.”

“In the- in the  _ library _ ?” Harry asked, incredulously. “On what  _ shelf _ ?”

One of the girls giggled nervously but after a look from Harry, she ceased. 

“It wasn’t really on a shelf,” said a different girl, bravely.“It was sort of hidden away, stashed in a corner. We only found it because I dropped some scrolls and they rolled underneath the shelf where it was hidden.”

“Which shelf was this?”

“In the far right corner,” another answered, quickly. Harry recognized her as the girl he practically ran over on the first day. She could hardly look at him. “There’s two but it’s under the one with the initials carved into it.”

“Initials?” Harry asked.

“Yes,” she said. “They say L.T., right near the bottom.”

It was quiet for a moment as Harry digested this information, his stomach dropping to his feet. The girls all looked up at him apprehensively. 

“Are we in trouble?” One asked, finally.

Harry looked at her intently, a surge of anger rising in him that had nothing to do with her or her friends. She grimaced and looked down at her feet.

Harry took a deep breath and said, “No, you’re not. However, if I catch you with one of these again it is going to mean serious trouble, understand? I’m talking losing House Points and getting detention serious.” 

All of the girls nodded furiously, looking relieved, their cheeks still tinged pink. Murmuring their thanks, they then turned and rushed off down the corridor with Harry watching as they went, his gaze unfocused.

After a beat Harry finally snapped the magazine closed and turned on his heel, heading in the direction of the library, the sound of his quick footsteps echoing in the deserted corridor. When he got the library he made his way to the far right corner, dodging Madam Pince on the way, who glared at him suspiciously. 

When he reached the shelves in the corner he dropped to his knees, searching the wooden sides for the markings…

When he saw them on the shelf he immediately took hold of the sides and shoved it out, revealing the objects behind it, a gasp escaping his lips: Carved in the wall was a sort of hollowed out crevice, big enough for a large box to sit snugly inside. 

With hands that shook slightly Harry pulled the box out, setting it on the ground before him, reaching out a hand to open it.

Harry let out a noise of disbelief. 

There were at least fifteen magazines in the box, all displaying seemingly innocent headlines with smiling witches and wizards on the front. Harry only had to glance inside of a couple to know that they were all disguised erotica.

“I can’t believe this,” Harry muttered under his breath, staring down at the box.

“Shit,” muttered a voice behind him, and Harry snapped his head around, meeting the wide eyes of Louis Tomlinson.

What irony, Harry thought, icily. He had been practically breaking his neck every day for the past couple of weeks as he tried to look over the crowds of students, searching for even a glimpse of Louis’ face. He had craned his neck so far he had gotten a crick, and yet, all it really took to find Louis was some erotica. Go figure.

Harry stared at Louis, still on his knees on the library floor, waiting for him to speak. Louis brought a hand up to his mouth, swiping his thumb across his  lip, shaking his head, obviously at a loss.  When he finally answered, his voice was bracing, “Would you believe me if I said it wasn’t mine?”

Harry rose smoothly from the floor in a quick, angry second. 

“Do you know who I caught with one of these?” Harry whispered, angrily.

“Caught-?” Louis said, blanching. “You mean someone found-”

“Yes! Someone found them! And do you know how old these ‘someones’ were?”

Louis shook his mutely, horrified.

“Second years.” Harry said, glaring at Louis. “I found a group of twelve year olds with one of these, Louis.”

Louis opened his mouth to speak, but closed it just as quickly, his eyes practically popping out of his head. “I didn't- I didn’t mean to-they’re just something to laugh at-”

“I don't  _ care _ what  _ you _ use them for,” Harry said, bitingly. “I care that you left them here, hiding somewhere where someone could easily find them!”

Louis looked at Harry, helplessly. “Harry I’m- I’m  _ so _ sorry,” he said, sincerely. “Honestly, I’d forgotten those were there, I’ve had them since my fifth year, they were just something to laugh at then, I really didn’t-”

“ _ These have been there for two years?” _

Louis blanched, staring at Harry, reverting back to silence, the look on his face clearly saying that he did not want to risk opening his mouth again. Harry, his fists clenched at his sides, tried to calm his breathing. 

After a few moments, Harry said, in a manner of forced calm, “I’m throwing these out.”

“Of course,” Louis said, quickly.

“And I’m having that hole sealed up,” Harry continued. “And there better not be any more.”

Harry looked up at Louis, searchingly. “There aren’t any more hidey holes, are there?”

“No,” Louis replied, immediately. “It was just the one.”

“Good,” Harry said, relieved, before he bent down and picked up the box, using his foot to slowly push the cabinet back in front of the hole. Louis watched, his face a slight shade of green, as though he were about to be sick.

As Harry turned to make his way out of the library, Louis spoke up, sounding confused. 

“Aren’t you going to punish me?”

Harry stopped. “Punish-?”

“Like give me detention, or take points from Slytherin or-”

Harry looked back, feeling his shoulders sag slightly at the look on Louis’ face. 

“No,” Harry sighed, all of the anger draining away, leaving him feeling suddenly guilty and defeated and very, very tired.  “That’s not necessary, I’m sure you meant no harm, after all.”

“I didn’t,” Louis said earnestly. “I promise, if I had known they would be found by a group of second years I would have thrown them out ages ago.”

Harry narrowed his eyes in mock seriousness, “Maybe you shouldn’t have had them in the first place,” he suggested.

Louis’ face reddened slightly before he realized Harry was joking. He cleared his throat, smiling slightly. “Well, c'mon now Harry, a man has his needs.”

“And reading erotica satisfies those needs?” Harry asked, skeptically.

“Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”

Harry laughed, shaking his head. “Noted.” 

Louis grinned and Harry, upon seeing the happiness and relief on Louis’ face, felt his stomach turn, guiltily. 

“Look,” Harry said, setting the box of erotica down carefully, looking at him apologetically. “I’m sorry I was so angry about all of this, I really shouldn’t have reacted so harshly.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Louis said, quickly. “I really shouldn’t have left those lying around for anyone to find them, it’s my fault.”

“Well, maybe those girls finding it was technically your fault, but my reaction to it wasn’t,” Harry said. “I don’t even know why I got so angry.”

Louis looked at Harry, tilting his head slightly to the side, a thoughtful look on his face. “Not to be rude, but how much sleep have you gotten in the past few weeks?”

Harry laughed humorlessly. “Not enough, I’m guessing.”

“You have a lot on your plate with Head Boy duties.”

“And Quidditch Captain duties,” Harry added. “Not to mention the fact that this year's N.E.W.T classes are as difficult as ever.”

Louis smiled. “You just need a bit of rest, Harry,” he said, gently.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “You’re probably right. Anyway-” Harry bent down and grabbed the box of erotica once more “-I’d better get rid of this, before Madam Pince decides to figure out why we’ve been back here so long.”

Louis followed him as he made his way past the shelves, glancing at Madame Pince, who stood by another shelf, glaring at them suspiciously. Louis grinned, leaning close to Harry as he said, “She probably thinks we were reading from the restricted section or something.”

Harry snorted, trying to pretend that Louis’ close proximity wasn’t making his stomach leap. “These definitely belong in some place like that,” he muttered. 

Louis laughed.

As they made their way out of the library, the strap on Harry’s bag slid down his shoulder to his elbow, causing him to lurch slightly.

“Oh- here-” Louis said, grabbing the bag and pulling it so that Harry had to hold the box with one hand so Louis could slide the bag from the other.

“You don't have to-” Harry started but Louis shrugged, slinging the bag over his other shoulder. 

Good to know chivalry isn’t dead, Harry thought. 

“So,” Louis said after a few moments of silence, “you mentioned being Quidditch Captain. How are your players doing?”

Harry shrugged. “We’ve only had one practice so far, but they’re a pretty solid team. Hawkins- he’s our new Beater-hit the bludger so hard the other day it soared across the field and dented one of the goalposts. I’d like to think that’s a good sign.”

“Did he really?” Louis asked, impressed. “He must be strong.”

“He is,” Harry said. “The two new Chasers are just as well too, Bradley and Jennifer. When they aren’t fighting of course.”

“Fighting?” Louis asked, curiously.

“Oh yes,” Harry sighed. “Apparently they both dated the same boy at some point, something they neglected to tell me before I put them both on the team.”

Louis whistled. “That’s tough. Who ended up with this boy in the end?”

“Neither, from what I can gather,” Harry said. “It sounded like he got tired of them both, however I can’t be sure. I wouldn’t want to make any assumptions.”

Louis looked sideways at Harry, a strange look on his face. “Of course, not,” he said, a small smile on his face.

They continued to chat as they walked, the corridors quiet, their footsteps echoing in the deserted halls. The sun streamed through the windows above and when Harry looked at Louis he saw his eyes had become a startlingly bright blue, a blue that made the inside of Harry's chest feel like a song was playing. 

After a while Harry turned down the hidden corridor that many students used to get to the upper floors. Skipping a trick step, Harry made it to the top with Louis in tow. After looking around to make sure there was nobody watching Harry said, “Well, might as well do it here,” and set the box down.

Harry pulled out his wand, gesturing to Louis to step back. 

Then, with a flick of his wand, Harry said clearly, “ _ Reducto _ ,” and the box was reduced to dust. 

Putting his back into his pocket, Harry looked up at Louis, who was staring at the black scorch on the floor, which was all that was left of the box. Harry, after using a quick charm to get rid of it, said, in an unsure tone, “Disappointed?”

Louis looked up, blushing slightly, as though he hadn’t realized he was staring. “No, not at all. Just impressed.”

Harry, who did not understand what Louis meant, merely nodded. “At least it’s gone, at any rate. I’ll take my bag back-” 

Louis quickly slid it from his shoulders, handing it to Harry as he said, “Thank you”, to which Louis only grinned. 

As they walked out from behind the tapestry, Louis said, “So, when’s the next Quidditch match?”

Harry looked at him, surprised. “You don’t know when the first Quidditch match is? That’s strange, I thought everyone here loved Quidditch.” 

Louis shrugged. “Just never got into it, I guess.”

“Then how come you want to know?”

“Probably because I’d like to see you play.”

Harry stopped then, staring at Louis, eyebrows raised. “You would?”

Louis stopped too, suddenly looking slightly unsure.“Of course. I mean, I can’t always be planning my next big prank, sometimes a guy has to have some fun, show some school spirit, stuff like that.”

“Stuff like that..” Harry echoed, staring at Louis, thoughtfully. 

“So-?” 

“Oh! Right, it’s the third of next month, Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor.” 

Louis smiled and suddenly the school bells chimed, signaling the end of their free period between classes.

“Well,” Louis said, as people started spilling out of the classrooms around them, “I’ll see you there then. Oh!”  Louis snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot to ask you what position you played.”

Harry smiled, rolling his eyes good naturedly. “Keeper.”

“Right,” Louis said, returning his grin. “Can’t wait!”

And with a quick salute and a wink Louis had disappeared into the crowd once again. 

 

The next few weeks of classes blurred together for Harry. With Quidditch practices, Head Boy duties and enough homework to send send most of the seventh years into a book clogged stupor, Harry had quite enough to be going on with. The weather was starting to go cold as well, with rapid winds whipping the trees of the forbidden forest back and forth, making Quidditch practices especially harder, what with the players making sure they weren’t blown off course along with having to keep an eye out for stray bludgers.

Still, despite the heavy workload Harry was dealing with, he never forgot about Louis. He was always in the back of his mind somehow, whether it was in Potions as he was trying to create a successful Sleeping Drought or on the Quidditch Pitch, swerving around his players and attempting to get them up to scratch for the first match of the season.

_ One Louis said he would be going to _ , a little voice in the back of Harry’s mind said, as he attempted to look up the correct wand movement for a particularly difficult charm. Harry pressed his lips together, stopping the grin that was ever so slowly attempting to make an appearance.

Harry flipped the page of his Charms textbook, the swishing movement one of the only sounds in the almost silent library, which was one of the places Harry found he was spending a good deal of his time. The scratch of quills could also be heard throughout the large room, along with fervent whispers and the occasional cough, of which caused many people to turn and glare moodily at the perpetrator. 

“The movement for….sort of a swish and flourish…” Harry read quietly to himself, drawing his eyebrows together. “ A ‘flourish’? What the hell does that mean? That could be anything, depending on the user’s idea of how a flourish goes, what a horrible definition-”

“Reading to yourself again?”

Harry jumped, his heart skipping a beat as he looked up. He felt his pulse jump again, watching as Louis laughed silently to himself, reaching up a hand to swipe through his hair, Harry’s eyes following the movements-

“Sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re a bit jumpy.”

“I’m not jumpy,” Harry said, defensively, Louis’ words pulling him out of his trance immediately. “You shouldn’t surprise me when I’m least expecting it, coming at me all the time when I’m not looking-”

“I was joking, Harry,” Louis said, grinning. 

“Oh,” Harry said, glancing down at his book. 

“To be fair though,” Louis said, pointing lazily. “I think I’ve only ever gotten your attention when you’re in perfectly normal settings. Walking down the corridor, reading in the library- they’re honestly really innocent places to talk to someone.”

Harry stared at Louis for a beat then quickly closed the open book before him, revealing a bit of blank parchment underneath. Snatching up his quill, Harry immediately began the write.

“What are you writing,” Louis asked curiously, standing slightly and bending over to peer at the words Harry was scribbling.

“A list,” Harry murmured. “Of all the things I’m learning about you. One: doesn’t care for Quidditch. Two: Always has to get the last word. Three: a right pain in my-”

“Hey!” Louis said, laughing, attempting to knock the quill out of Harry’s hand. Harry pulled it out of his reach, along with the parchment, giggling as he continued to write.

“Four,” Harry continued, pulling the parchment even further from Louis’ grabby hands. “Thinks a green and silver tie goes with everything, including the horrendous yellow sweater he wore last week-”

“Oh, now you’re mocking my fashion sense!” Louis said, indignantly. “That’s a low blow, Styles, very low indeed.”

Harry giggled even harder, his hand writing rapidly starting to resemble chicken scratch. As Louis made for another grab at the list his elbow knocked against the pile of books near the edge of the table, causing them to all tumble down to the floor, making a great deal of noise in the process.

“And just  _ what _ do you two think you are doing?!” Madam Pince suddenly appeared at the table, her eyes narrowed into a glare and her sunken cheeks flushed with anger. Harry, who was very well aware of Madam Pince’s love for her precious books, prepared himself to be kicked out.

“Sorry-sorry-,” Louis said, bending down to grab the books, a trace of a grin still on his face. “I was reaching over to look at Harry’s notes and knocked these books off the table by mistake-” When he resurfaced, the books in his arms, he carefully stacked them back up on the table, Madam Pince glaring daggers all the while. 

“So sorry, Madam Pince,” Louis continued, sincerely. “I promise it won’t happen again.” He looked up at her, a charmingly apologetic look on his face, a look Harry was sure wouldn’t work.

“Well,” Madam Pince sniffed, “be sure it doesn’t happen again!” And then she shuffled away, casting scathing looks over her shoulder as she went. Harry was absolutely dumbfounded.

“I don’t believe it,” he muttered. “Last year she sent me out because my nose was too close to the pages, said there’d be grease stains all over it before I got to the second chapter. How did you do that?” 

Louis shrugged, managing to look slightly abashed. 

“So,” Louis said as Harry shuffled a few papers around, reorganizing them after the scuffle he and Louis had. “You know how that whole Quidditch thing is in a couple of weeks?”

Harry glanced up, immediately ceasing his movements to stare at him suspiciously.  “Yes,” he said, cautiously. 

“Well,” Louis brought his hand up and swiped across his lower lip. Harry’s heart sank.

“What are you planning?” Harry interrupted, setting down his papers. Louis grimaced slightly, but seemed determined to explain himself nonetheless.

“I’m just planning a little something for Halloween, that’s all.” Louis said, bracingly. “Nothing as big the first day, and definitely not as big as the last-”

“What are you planning for the last day?” Harry asked, sharply.

“-but it’s going to be memorable, I’ll tell you that,” Louis continued, as if Harry hadn’t spoken. “And I just thought I should-”

“Let me know, yeah,” Harry finished for him. “But, Halloween you said? That’s only two days before the first match!”

“Well, two and a half…”

“Halves don’t count.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.”

“Oh, well there’s a sound authority figure.” Louis said, rolling his eyes. “Really Harry, it’s going to be fine. I’m not going to ruin the Quidditch Pitch or anything. I’m just going to have a bit of fun.”

Harry stared at Louis skeptically, then let out a breath. “Fine, but it better not stop Hufflepuff from winning.”

“Of course not,” Louis said, grinning. “Wouldn’t dare ruin the chances for the best Hufflepuff Quidditch team of the century.” 

“But you haven’t even seen us play,” Harry pointed out, almost in exasperation. 

“Nope,” Louis said with a wink. “Don’t need to. I believe in you.” And with that Louis rose from his seat and made his exit from the library, smiling graciously at Madam Pince as he did so.

 

When Halloween finally rolled around, Harry was hardly in the mind set for another one of Louis’ pranks. The workload for his N.E.W.T classes was growing increasingly heavier, the weather was rapidly turning stormy, making for horrible Quidditch conditions, and students all over the place were steadily getting worse as each day wore on. They seemed to get it into their heads that they needed to make each day as difficult for Harry as possible, whether it be dropping stink pellets on random unsuspecting students or instigating Moaning Murtle into flooding the first floor girl’s toilets. 

Harry didn’t know what to make of this sudden rule breaking. In addition to distracting Harry, it distracted the other teachers as well. It was incredibly difficult to focus on work when students were panicking about dive bombing paper airplanes in the middle of lessons, especially when these airplanes had a vicious tendency to leave very deep and painful papercuts. 

Harry found it all incredibly vexing and not the least bit humorous. He walked into the Great Hall on Halloween evening fuming, his hand bleeding and bandaged after a particularly vindictive paper airplane had come flying into his potions class to wreak havoc upon the rest of the N.E.W.T students.

It wasn’t until Harry sat down at the Hufflepuff table, muttering profanities to himself all the while, that he remembered Louis’ warning from two weeks before. 

“Oh damn,” He muttered, casting quick looks around the Great Hall, craning his neck for anything amiss, anything that slightly deviated from the normal atmosphere of  the Halloween Feast.

As usual for Halloween, the hall was decorated with a vast array of outstanding favors. Live bats swooped from the ceiling.  Pumpkins with silly faces carved into them hung in mid air, containing candles that sputtered when the bats flew by. There were artificial cobwebs hanging from the enchanted ceiling, ones that Argus Filch, the grumpy caretaker, kept glancing at moodily. 

When he did not see anything, Harry slumped back into his seat, glancing around every so often, a mess of anxiety tumbling around in his stomach.

Absentmindedly, Harry reached out a hand to his goblet, bringing the rim of the cup to his lips-

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” said a voice next to his ear, and a very small hand connected to a slender wrist gently took the goblet from his hand. 

“Wha-” Harry looked around at Louis, who settled himself into the vacant seat next to him, the goblet in his left hand. 

“Hello Harry,” He said, brightly. 

“Hi.” Harry said, his heartbeat quickening. “Why shouldn’t I-”

“Oh, you’ll see in a moment,” Louis said mysteriously, setting the goblet as far from Harry as he could. Harry stared in confusion, before his face paled at a sudden thought.

“You haven’t  _ poisoned _ everyone, have you?!”

“What?” Louis let out a shocked laugh, his eyes going wide. “No! Of course not, Harry, jeez! Who do you think I am, anyway? Of course I didn’t poison anyone.”

“Well how am I to know?” Harry asked, gesticulating wildly. “I don’t know you! I don’t know what you’re capable of-” 

Harry stopped when he noticed Louis’ shoulders were shaking, his mouth pressed into a hard line but slightly turned up at the corners, as though he were really struggling not to laugh. When Harry stared at him, accusatory and slightly offended, Louis said, “Just give it a second, Harry.”

Harry glared, but waited nonetheless. 

An odd sound was starting to fill the hall. Harry did not recognize it immediately, for it was high pitched and the sound of it seemed to hit his ear drums like a swarm of bees converging upon some unsuspecting victim. Harry looked around, confused, at the grinning faces of each and every student, trying to make sense of what they were doing. He glanced down again at his goblet, at the clear liquid contained inside. He reached over and picked it up, bringing it under his nose, taking a large whiff of it as he did so, crinkling his nose in confusion at the lack of any identifiable smell.

Harry looked over at Louis, who was watching him with keen interest, a gleam in his eye he hadn’t ever seen before. Setting down the goblet, Harry surveyed the Great Hall again, then noticed with a jolt of alarm that everyone was still grinning, their mouths open slightly, their shoulders shaking in a way that did not seem likely they would stop. 

It wasn’t until he saw the confusion in some of their eyes that he realized.

With a gasp, he turned to Louis, eyes wide with alarm. 

“You laced their drinks with  _ Gigglewater _ ?”


	3. Chapter 3

“You laced their drinks with  _ Gigglewater _ ?” Harry said in alarm. “But-but Louis, that’s an  _ alcoholic _ drink! There are underage witches and wizards in here!”

Louis merely shook his head, grinning. “Not in this batch, I made it especially. It contains absolutely zero alcohol but has all the effects of the alcoholic version.”

Harry looked around again, watching in horror as the people around him continued to giggle uncontrollably, some with increasing looks of alarm on their faces. 

“Louis, you have to make it stop,” Harry said quickly, turning back to him. 

“It will,” Louis said reassuringly. “The effects only last for a couple of minutes.” Suddenly, he pointed to the staff table. “Look! All the teachers have drunk some too!”

Harry looked in horror at the staff table, staring wide eyed at their smiling but angry faces. 

“You are going to be in so much trouble,” Harry groaned.

“Of course, that’s a given,” Louis said in a sure tone. “It’s worth it though, isn’t it?”

Harry didn’t answer, merely shook his head helplessly. 

Gradually, after a few painful minutes, the laughing and giggling in the Great Hall died down. After a while, there were only a few who were still experiencing the effects of the Gigglewater, those who were most likely late to dinner or had taken their time before tucking into their meal. When it was finally silent, each student looking relieved, but also confused, Professor McGonagall stood up, her mouth in a line so tight it looked painful.

“Who did this?” She said sharply, looking around, her gaze thunderous.

Harry glanced at Louis, who, to his great surprise, slowly stood up. Every eye turned in his direction. There was a round of muttering throughout the hall, and Harry heard a few people distinctly say, “Of course.”

Louis smiled cheerily at all of them, then directed his attention at Professor Mcgonagall. 

“That would be me,” he said, unabashed. 

Harry braced himself but Professor Mcgonagall seemed unable to speak; her chest was rising and falling quickly, her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, and her eyes flashed, dangerously. Harry stared at her in alarm, having never seen her this angry before. 

“Louis Tomlinson,” she said and although her voice was low, it practically echoed throughout the silent hall. “I would like a word with you in my office. Right. Now.” 

Louis nodded and said, “Of course.” 

Harry felt like he was in a dream as he watched Louis extricate himself from the Hufflepuff table, the look on his face one of absolute calmness and serenity. Before he turned away, he winked at Harry, flashing him a quick grin. Before Harry could return it, if he even could, his mind being a blank wall of disbelief, Louis was moving down the aisle toward the doors of the Great Hall, Professor Mcgonagall following at his heels, moving at a brisk, swift pace. 

When Professor Mcgonagall’s robes had whipped out of sight a good deal of noise broke out amongst the students as they all began discussing what had just happened. 

Harry could only stare dumbly at the doors Louis had walked through. 

“That was really something, wasn’t it?” 

Harry turned to Michael, who had moved from the Gryffindor table to the Hufflepuff table. 

“I mean,” he continued, “I can’t believe he just gave himself up like that. It’s not like we didn't know who did it of course, he’s been causing trouble since his first day, but still, I would have expected him to keep quiet, if only to save his skin.”

Harry frowned, a prickle of annoyance running down his spine at Michael’s tone. 

“What does that mean?” He asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice, knowing he’d always gotten along with Michael. 

“Well, just that he’s a Slytherin. It’s not like they're known for being the noble type, are they? They’d rather let someone else take the fall, self preservation and all that.” Michael said, waving slightly.

Although his tone was observatory rather than judgmental or accusing, Harry glared. “That’s a very old and very outdated stereotype, Michael.”

Michael looked at him in surprise; he had never seen Harry act this cold before. And while Harry knew that Michael was a good guy, one who never meant any harm, he still resented the way he spoke so flippantly, as if that type of thinking wasn’t harmful or detrimental to the inter-house relationships they had been building in the years following the Second Great War. Plus, it made it seem like Louis was an outlier in his House; as though there weren’t a good number of great people that belonged to Slytherin, as if it were full of sneaking, glory seeking prats who only cared for themselves. 

“Harry, I didn’t mean it like that,” Michael said, looking confused. “I just meant- well I don’t really know Louis, that’s all, and I just assumed-”

“Stop assuming,” Harry interrupted. “He’s a good guy, who just likes to have a bit of fun, that’s all. And the Slytherins have a lot of great qualities, just like Gryffindor.” 

And with that Harry got up from his seat, having decided he had lost his appetite. He walked from the Great Hall, ignoring the pang of guilt at Michael’s stricken and confused face as he did so. Walking into the entry hall, Harry let out a great sigh, shaking his head in an effort to clear it, scrunching up his nose slightly when, rather than clear away his thoughts, only helped to induce a headache. After a glance at the the stairs that lead to the Headmistress’s tower, Harry started to walk in the direction of the kitchens. After a moment however, he stopped, glancing again the stairs. 

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Harry stared, unsure. Finally, making a decision, he darted toward the stairs, taking them up quickly, as though afraid he would lose his nerve.

When he made it to the tower that would lead to the Professor Mcgonagall’s office, the usual gargoyles standing guard, he stopped. After a look around, Harry walked slowly  backwards to lean against the wall opposite the door and waited.

After almost half an hour the door slid open and Harry snapped to attention, watching as Louis shuffled out, alone. As seeing Harry he stopped, surprised. 

“I just wanted to see if you were okay,” Harry said in explanation, his cheeks reddening. 

After a moment of silence, Louis’ face split into a wide grin.

“Thank you,” he said and looked most pleased with himself. “You didn't have to.” 

“I know,” Harry said as Louis fell in step with him, heading in the direction of the stairs. 

After a moment he said, “So, did she punish you?” 

Louis nodded, looking neither apologetic nor upset about the fact. “Two month's worth of detentions, which is about what I expected.” At Harry’s alarmed look, he laughed. “Trust me, that’s nothing. In my fourth year, when I put hair dye in all of the boy’s bathrooms, turning their hair white, she almost whipped me, I could tell she wanted to-”

Harry frowned. “I don’t remember you doing that. My hair never turned white.”

Suddenly, Louis was very interested in some dust particles on his robes and he avoided Harry’s eye as he tried to brush them away. “That’s weird.” He said quickly. “It was all sorted out in a minute though, Muggle beauty products are easy to get off with magic, which was why I didn’t use a charm. Didn’t want the effects to be long lasting.”

Harry nodded, satisfied. As they descended the stairs that led to the entrance hall, Harry said, “It was a pretty good prank though, the one you just pulled.”

Louis looked at Harry quickly, a grin forming on his face. “Yeah? You think so?”

“I do,” Harry said, returning his grin. “Thanks for warning me about it and pulling my goblet away before I could drink some. I appreciate it.”

“Yeah, well.” Louis said, looking away in embarrassment.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs they stopped, knowing they both had to go in different directions. They looked at each other, and Harry felt a connection, an understanding pass between them, one that had them both blushing.

“I’ll see you later, then,” Harry said.

“I look forward to it,” Louis said cheekily and they both turned and walked in the direction of their common rooms, each only looking back twice, which Harry thought showed an incredible amount of restraint.

 

Harry walked out onto the Quidditch Pitch to thunderous cheers and boos. With his broom slung over his shoulder and his team trailing behind him, he walked to the middle of the pitch. Looking up, shielding his eyes from the bright sun, he saw it was packed full of students.

He really only cared about one and when he got to the middle, the commentator’s voice ringing in his ears, he hoped the one he was looking for was there, in the stands, cheering him on with the rest of the Hufflepuffs. 

“Good conditions,” Jennifer murmured slightly behind him. Harry nodded, not really listening, his eyes still scanning the crowd, as if he could possibly distinguish any one of the waving, humanoid dots from the next. 

“Captains shake hands,” said Miss Hooch. 

Harry took Michael’s hand, shaking once, twice, nodding at him. 

“Look, Harry,” Michael started, “I just wanted to tell you-”

“Mount your brooms!” Miss Hooch yelled. 

Harry gave Michael a curious look but lowered his hand and mounted his broom. Michael only looked slightly let down but did the same.

Then the whistled sounded and Harry kicked off, rising high into the air and positioning himself in front of the golden hoops. His players flew around the field with incredible agility and he watched proudly as they scored the first three goals with ease. He sat on his broom stick almost idly, enjoying the slight breeze.

When the quaffle finally came down his end though, he was ready. As Michael aimed a shot at the first hoop, feigning left, Harry shot right, interpreting the feint correctly and catching the ball, earning rancorous cheers from the yellow clad students below.

“GOOD JOB HARRY!” A voice boomed and Harry jumped, almost dropping the Quaffle. A rumble of laughter shook the stands and when Harry looked he immediately found Louis, his mouth dropping in astonishment.

Louis had his wand pointed to his throat, making use of the  _ Sonorous _ charm with obvious ease. This, however, was not what made Harry’s eyes almost bulge out of his skull. Not only was Louis wearing bright yellow robes with what looked like sewn in diamonds, the entirety of his face was painted a very loud yellow, giving him the likeness of the sun. Harry wondered vaguely how he had failed notice Louis in the beginning, what with the brightness of the color and the diamonds, which reflected in the morning sun and cast glittering specks of light all around him. He must have come after everyone else, Harry thought distantly.

“Well there’s no doubt as to who he’s supporting, folks,” said the commentator, a sixth year Gryffindor Harry had never met, but whose name he knew was Damien. The spectators laughed and Harry, after throwing the Quaffle back to other’s grinned, giving Louis a thumbs up. 

The game passed quickly from that point on. Harry didn't let in a single goal and his players flew magnificently, earning ten more consecutive points. Whenever Harry successfully blocked a post Louis would yell out his encouragement using the  _ Sonorous  _ charm, much to the displeasure of the announcer and the surrounding Gryffindors.

“I would like to remind any fellow students,” said Damien after Louis let out a rather loud whoop in response to Harry narrowly saving a goal, the Quaffle nearly slipping through his fingers. “That my voice should really be the only one being heard at the moment.”

“Eat dung,” was Louis’ reponse. After that Professor Mcgonagall confiscated his wand until the end of the match.

After half an hour Harry’s Seeker, a fellow seventh year who went by the name of Teddy, caught the snitch right under the Gryffindor Seeker nose, literally. The Gryffindor Seeker, busy laughing at a stray bludger that had been hit into the crowd, failed to notice the small golden ball hovering near his face. Teddy had shot toward him and other Seeker, thinking he was being attacked, moved out of the way with a yelp, giving Teddy a clear shot to the Snitch, which he closed around his fist and held high up above his blue colored head.

Harry flew back to the ground, cheering for his teammates with the rest of the Hufflepuff crowd. He pulled them all into a group hug, laughing and congratulating them all on their performance. The Hufflepuffs in the stands started spilling onto the field as well, yelling and screaming with glee, and Harry felt numerous people thump his back in excitement.

“Excellent job, Harry!”

Harry turned, recognizing the voice above the other’s, the one he’d really only cared about if he were being quite honest with himself. Facing Louis, Harry grinned even wider, taking in his appearance, which was even more bright and eye-catching up close.

“You look ridiculous,” Harry said.

Louis laughed, doing a small spin, which wasn’t very easy in the excited, jostling crowd. “You like it?”

“I love it,” Harry replied, pulling Louis into a quick hug. 

After letting go, Louis beamed at Harry and Harry at him, and in the crowd of cheering, happy Hufflepuffs, Harry thought he’d like to encapsulate this moment forever, save it in a nice little bubble in the back of his mind for him to revisit should he ever need cheering up.

 

When Harry walked out of the Hufflepuff changing rooms, a smile still on his face and a small hum drifting past his lips, he saw Michael, waiting patiently a little ways away. Harry stopped, confused.

To his left, Teddy had exited too and had met up with the Gryffindor Seeker. Harry barely took note of this, distantly thinking that he hadn’t known they were friends, despite the strange age difference.

“You did well, James,” Harry heard Teddy say. 

“I didn’t catch the snitch,” James replied, moodily. 

Harry heard Teddy laugh, their voices fading as they walked back up to the castle. “You can’t win em’ all, kid…”

Slowly, Michael made his way over, a hesitant look on his face. Harry watched him walk up, their last little chat replaying quickly in his mind. 

“Hey, Harry, good game,” Michael said, smiling hesitantly. “That last save was really something.”

“Thanks,” Harry said. 

It was silent.

“Look,” Michael started, “I just wanted to talk to you real quick, is that okay? Can we talk?”

Harry studied him for a moment, thinking, taking him in. Finally, he nodded. Michael looked relieved.

“Cool, let’s...go over here, shall we?”

Harry followed him around the greenhouses and past the pumpkin patch near Hagrid’s hut, waving cheerily at him as they passed. Finally they reached the edge of the forest, where Michael stopped and faced Harry, who waited patiently for him to speak.

“I’m sorry,” Michael blurted. “About what I said about Louis and the Slytherins. I didn’t realize you two were close.”

Harry, surprised at the bluntness of Michael’s words only said, “Yeah, well…”

“It wasn’t until I saw him cheering on the Hufflepuff’s today that I realized. You two are pretty good friends right?”

Harry, knowing what him and Louis had didn't technically fall under the category of ‘friends’ said nothing at all. Michael ignored this.

“It was just the old Gryffindor prejudices coming out,” He continued. “I spoke without thinking, and judged without considering who it would affect.”

Harry nodded, in complete agreement with the statement.

“And I’m sorry, Harry, I really am. I don’t want you to think that I’m a horrible person.”

“I don’t think you’re a horrible person,” Harry said, bemused.

“You don’t?” Michael asked. 

“No, of course not,” Harry said. 

“Well,” Michael said, smiling at the ground. “Thanks.”

Harry nodded, still watching him, confused and unsure. 

“So, Harry,” Michael said, suddenly looking up, an almost determined look on his face. “Did you see there was a Hogsmeade trip next month?”

Harry shook his head.

“Oh, well there is. I was just wondering,” Michael paused, looking nervous. “Did you want to maybe go into the village with me?”

His words didn’t register with Harry at first. He was trying to figure out why he had included the bit about being a horrible person, wondering why Michael suddenly cared what Harry thought of him. It wasn’t until he looked up, catching the hopeful look on his face that the words caught up to his brain.

“Hogsmeade?” Harry said, wondering why Michael was asking to see him in Hogsmeade so formally. He spoke quickly, not really thinking.“Sure, we can hang out if I see you there, I’m sure I will, I was planning on going in anyway-”

“No,” Michael interrupted. “I meant going in together, like on a date.”

“Oh,” Harry said, his mind stopping short in the same way music on a record player would scratch to a halt, that comical sound echoing in his mind.  “A date.”

“Yeah,” Michael laughed, slightly nervously. “A date. Only if you didn't have anything else planned I mean.”

“Er,” Harry said, glancing at the castle. Blue eyes and a green tie flashed quickly through his mind.

Distantly, Harry thought about the irony of the situation. Then, shaking his head slightly, he turned back to Michael.

“I was actually planning on going in with someone already.” 

It wasn’t a lie in the slightest.

“Oh,” Michael’s face fell. “Well, okay, don't worry about it. I’ll see you around then.” 

And before Harry could say another word Michael was shuffling away, walking through the grass back up to the castle, his face tinged slightly pink in the light of the setting sun. Harry watched him go, a strange feeling inside of him, one he couldn’t really identify. It just felt as though he had outgrown an old pair of shoes. 

When Harry got back up to the castle he saw with a jolt that Louis was waiting for him. Upon seeing Harry, his face broke into a grin. Flecks of the yellow paint on his face had chipped off, revealing random patches of skin and a few stray freckles near his mouth. Harry also saw noted that despite his outrageous appearance, Louis had still elected to wear the green and silver tie.

He was nothing if not consistent, Harry thought, dryly.

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” Harry said.

“Yeah well, I almost left, to be honest,” Louis said, his smile saying the complete opposite.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day it seemed that everyone in the castle knew Michael had asked Harry out. Harry didn’t find this particular piece of gossip to be all that thrilling, but everyone else apparently did. 

“But did you say yes?” A fellow Hufflepuff asked, some sixth year Harry had seen before in the common room. 

That seemed to be the only part that nobody knew: whether or not Harry had said yes. 

“Why do you care?” Harry asked with genuine curiosity anytime someone asked this. Everyone, taking this as a reluctance to answer, merely shrugged Harry off and shuffled away. Harry found it incredibly annoying, especially considering that he really did want to know why everyone held such an interest.

“I think it’s because you’ve never dated anyone before,” Teddy finally told him, thoughtfully.

“I really don’t see how that’s anyone’s business.”

Teddy shrugged. “So, did you say yes?”

Harry let out an exasperated noise and walked away.

Despite this newfound interest into Harry’s dating life, he still really only cared about the interest of one person. The only problem was, he couldn’t find this one person anywhere.

As the weeks passed by in a blur of homework and Quidditch practices, Harry  kept his out for his favorite Slytherin, but was having a hard time actually locating him. Whenever he walked down the corridors, his eyes peeled for troublemakers (one specific troublemaker, actually) he rarely ever found him. He even took alternate routes in hopes of maybe seeing him but to no avail. Even on the weekends, when the students were free to walk the grounds and enjoy the spring sunshine, Louis was nowhere to be found, which Harry found incredibly annoying. 

Harry mused over this troubling situation on his way to his common room to drop his bag off before dinner. As he walked he hardly took note of his surroundings, looking at the people around him as obstacles to swerve around and their chatty voices little nuances to ignore. It wasn’t until the corridor was empty and he heard a small ticking sound that he registered where he was at all. 

He was near the familiar tapestry that hid a secret stairwell to the upper floors when his head snapped up, that small ticking noise growing louder. Bemused, Harry looked around the corridor, his eyes zeroing in on the tapestry, where the ticking was evidently coming from. Slowly, Harry moved it out of the way to reveal the stairwell, letting out a small yelp as he did so.

“Harry!” Louis’ light voice whispered in astonishment, looking at him with wide eyes.

“Louis?” Harry, asked loudly. “What-?”

“Shh!” Louis said, quickly bringing his finger up to his lips, tapping them repeatedly. This was so endearing that Harry immediately fell silent. 

“What are you doing down here?” Louis whispered, staring at him. 

“I just heard this ticking and came to investigate. What are  _ you _ doing down here?” Harry asked. 

“Nothing,” Louis said quickly. Harry raised his eyebrows, causing Louis to grin. “I mean, not nothing. Something, but- well, you know.” Louis gestured to the ground around him and Harry looked down, his eyebrows raising, curiously.

The floor of the secret corridor was strewn with an assortment of brightly colored clothing. They looked to be of all shapes and sizes but were obviously not the source of the ticking. Harry looked up, questioningly. 

“What’s that ticking I keep hearing?”

Louis smiled mischievously. He turned and picked up something which had been leaning on the wall behind him, out of Harry’s line of vision. Bringing it into the light of the torch hung on the wall, Louis showed him what it was. Harry laughed in surprise.

“Nicked Filch’s Probity Probe,” Louis said simply, turning it over in his hands. “He kept threatening to stick it somewhere unpleasant if I ever brought in another banned item.”

“ ‘Another’?” Harry asked, smiling.

“Yeah. I brought in some stuff from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes a couple of days ago, forgot to conceal them before, was a bit distracted.” Louis said, breezily. 

Harry nodded, looking around at the clothes on the floor again. “What’s all this?”

Louis grinned, if possible, even wider.

“Another one of your plans?” Harry asked, raising one of his eyebrows. 

“Sort of.” 

“Going to tell me what this one is this time?”

Louis looked at Harry thoughtfully, his mouth twisted sideways in a way that made Harry’s heart melt with endearment. The seconds ticked by and Harry knew Louis was only pausing for dramatic effect, so he waited patiently for him to say something. 

“I was planning on dying everyone’s clothes bright green,” he said finally.

Harry let out a surprised laugh, his law dropping comically. “Seriously?”

Louis nodded, gesturing to the pile of clothes as his feet. “I was practicing just now, changing their colors. The only one I can’t seem to get the hang of is pink.”

“Well then,” Harry said. “I guess I’ll make sure to wear my pink silk shirt on whatever day you’re planning to do this.”

Louis’ eyes widened, as though he had just found a bit of treasure he never thought he would find. “Hold on,” he said, holding up a finger. “You have a  _ pink silk shirt?” _

Harry nodded.

_ “Why _ ?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “It’s called fashion, Louis.”

Louis waved this away. “Is it like bright pink or more of a salmon?” He asked, giggling.

“It’s actually more of a baby pink to be honest.”

Louis, seemingly unable to contain himself anymore, burst out laughing, Harry staring at him disapprovingly all the while. 

When Louis showed signs of stopping, his giggles becoming less strung out with every second, Harry said, “Oh no please, continue to mock me for my fashion choices, I really love being laughed at.”

Louis giggled again, waving him away. “I’m not laughing at you, Harry. I’m just surprised that’s all. I’ve never seen you without the robes and yellow tie.” 

Harry, seeing his chance, jumped at it. “Well, maybe you can.”

“What do you mean?” Louis asked, wiping a miniscule and unnecessary tear from his eye.

“Well, if you’re not already-”

“You!” wheezed a voice suddenly, and Harry turned to find Filch standing at the entryway of the corridor, one hand pulled back on the tapestry and the other pointing an accusing finger at Louis.

“Ah,” Louis said, looking neither shocked nor guilty, just resigned as he brought the Probity Probe back into the light. “Right, about this-”

“Stealing things!” He wheezed, coming into the corridor, shaking his finger menacingly. “You've started stealing things you little pest, right from my office it looks like! Oh, you're in trouble now, Louis Tomlinson, so much trouble-”

As Filch came forward Harry stepped in front of Louis protectively, a hand up in warning and words of defense on the edge of his tongue. This, however, did not deter Filch, for when he finally seemed to notice Harry, his eyes bugged further.

“And you!” he yelled, his voice rising like the redness on his face. “You let him, haven't you? Stealing things and letting people do it, pretending to be a nice little Head Boy-”

“ _ What _ is going on here?” said a sharp voice at the end of the corridor, the tapestry once again pulled back to reveal someone, this time Professor Mcgonagall.

“Ma’am!” Filch said, turning quickly. “Louis Tomlinson stole my Probity Probe- and Harry Styles! He let him! He let him take it and is helping the conniving little boy cause trouble-”

“Will you get a hold of yourself man,” she said sharply, her eyes flashing. Filch fell silent, but still looked accusingly at Louis and Harry, clearly wishing he could say more.

“What is all of this, Tomlinson?” Professor Mcgonagall barked, gesturing to the clothes on the floor. “What are you up to now?”

Louis frowned, a thoughtful look on his face. He didn’t seem to know what to say, and Harry, without realizing he was doing it, stepped in.

“We were practicing the color changing charm Flitwick taught us today,” He lied, smoothly. “Louis couldn’t get the hang out of it, so I said I’d help him out.” 

Louis stared for a second before smiling tightly. “That’s right. It’s a very tricky charm.”

Professor Mcgonagall glared at them both, distrust clear on her face. Finally, after a moment she said, “Have you mastered the spell?”

Harry grinned. “Oh yes, I think he’s really got it down after I’ve been helping him.”

Louis let out a cough that almost sounded like a snort.

“Then you’d better get to dinner, if you’ve got nothing left to work on,” she said, looking back and forth between them. “And that will be five points from Slytherin, Tomlinson, for stealing the Probity Probe.”

Louis smiled as he handed it back to a glaring Filch. “Of course.” With a wave of his wand, the clothes disappeared and they all exited the corridor, Harry and Louis walking side by side to dinner, letting Professor Mcgonagall and Filch walk ahead of them.

“I’m guessing you won’t be able to do that prank now,” Harry murmured to Louis.

Louis shook his head, smiling ruefully. “Definitely not. I can tell she’s already suspicious, especially since she thinks you were lying.”

Harry stopped, looking sharply at Louis. “What? What do you mean?”

Louis stopped as well, obviously trying to hold back a grin. “Well, it was clear on her face, she didn’t really believe that you were helping me with coursework.”

“Then why didn’t she say so?”

Louis shrugged. “I expect it’s because you’re Head Boy and she’s more inclined to take your word for it, especially if she can’t prove otherwise.”

Harry frowned.

“It’s most interesting to me though,” Louis said as he continued walking, Harry moving to do the same. “That you lied in the first place.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

Louis laughed then, in disbelief. “What do you mean, ‘why’s that’? Because you’re you Harry! Nobody expects you to lie, especially not the teachers.”

Harry let out a breath, mumbling to himself all the while. “I think I did pretty well.”

“Oh, I’m not criticizing you’re lying capabilities,” Louis rushed on, as though Harry really truly cared whether he was a bad liar or not. “You did do well, you hardly showed a tell at all.”

“A tell?”

“Yeah, you know, that small tick everyone has when they lie. You hardly exhibited one at all.” Louis said, a proud note ringing in his voice. 

“What’s mine then?” asked Harry.

Louis hummed, shrugging his shoulders, smirking. 

“You’re not going to tell me?” Harry asked indignantly. “After I just totally stopped you from getting another month's worth of detentions?”

“I’m not sure it would have been that many,” Louis said thoughtfully. “I mean I hadn’t actually pulled the prank yet, I was only  _ planning _ it-”

“Louis!”

“Okay, okay!” Louis said, laughing and holding his hands up. “If you must know, you scrunch your nose up, like you’ve got a small itch on the end or something. It’s not incredibly noticeable unless you’re really looking.”

“And you are,” Harry pointed out, smiling in spite of himself. “Really looking, I mean.”

Louis looked at Harry, his cheeks going pink, letting out a nervous laugh as he did so. “Well, who isn’t?” he said, softly.

It was silent then, as they walked. It was a comfortable silence, Harry noted as his arms swung at his sides. One he could get used to. One he wanted to get used to.

“Can I asked you something,” Harry said suddenly, slightly pink.

Louis gave Harry a sidelong glance. “Sure, Harry. What is it?”

“I was going to ask you before, but I haven’t seen you at all the past few weeks-”

Louis winced slightly, guiltily. “Oh yeah, sorry about that. All of my teachers have been keeping me back every day to talk about what I’m doing with my life. Same thing on weekends, they keep asking to meet to talk about my future.”

Harry momentarily forgot what he was going to say. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, you know,” Louis said, waving his hand. “They think I’m not going to be serious enough about exams and that I’m going to fail out and ruin my life- or something like that.They’re just worried I don’t care enough.”

“But you do,” Harry said, frowning. “You do care.”

“I know,” said Louis, looking at Harry curiously. When Harry didn’t say anything due to the sudden rush of annoyance at all his teachers Louis said, “What did you want to ask me, Harry?”

Harry, who had been thinking resentfully about the teachers who obviously didn’t believe in one of the cleverest student’s in the castle, suddenly remembered what he had been about to do. His cheeks turned pink again and as he looked at Louis he wasn’t sure the words would come out correctly, or at all.

“You know,” Louis said, watching the internal struggle Harry was obviously going through. “There’s a Hogsmeade visit soon.”

“There is?,” Harry said, in a voice that was at least an octave higher than his normal tone. Clearing his throat, he said, as though he hadn’t been thinking about it for weeks, “Oh yeah, I think I remember seeing the notice up in the common room.”

Louis nodded, a small smile on his face and his eyes alight with amusement. “Are you going with anyone?”

“Well,” Harry said, taking a deep breath, his stomach a mess of excitement and nausea, “Maybe. I mean- I hope so. See, what I wanted to do was-”

“Harry,” Louis said, stopping him. “I’ll meet you in the entry hall after breakfast, okay? We can go in together.”

Harry opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “Okay,” was all he said, a rush of gratitude sweeping through his body. He beamed at him, the expression mirrored on Louis’ own face whose smile was slightly exasperated but satisfied nonetheless.

“Well, I’ll see you then,” Harry said, lamely.

“Oh, you’ll see me before that, troublemaker,” Louis teased with a small wink. As they walked into the Great Hall, Louis said, before he went over to the Slytherin table, “And don’t wear that pink shirt for the next couple of weeks.”

“I thought you said you wouldn’t be able to pull that prank!” Harry called after him.

“We’ll see!” He called back, cheekily.

Harry laughed, shaking his head, wondering how the hell he got so lucky.

 

Seeing as the Michael news had traveled so fast, Harry was unsurprised that by the end of dinner everyone knew that Harry Styles, Head Boy and  Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain, was going into Hogsmeade with Louis Tomlinson, one of the best troublemakers since the Weasley Twins. He also wasn’t surprised that people kept shooting Michael looks as well, obviously wondering how he would take this news.

Harry himself was slightly nervous about this as well, but for completely different a reason. The thought of Michael at all usually made him nervous, however since he had asked him it out the nervousness was a different kind than before. It was the kind that made Harry feel guilty rather than giddy. And he was sure Michael had an idea as to why. Why else would he have asked Harry out?

“So, you and Louis Tomlinson,” Teddy said as they walked back to their common room from dinner. Harry glanced at him, slightly ruffled by the knowing look in his eye.

When Harry didn’t say anything, Ted said, “Knew there had to be someone else.”

Harry frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it only makes sense. Why else would you turn down the guy you’ve been crushing on for the last two years?”

Harry looked at him sharply, “Who told you-?”

“I have eyes, Harry,” Teddy said. “I saw that way you used to look at him, especially during those matches against Gryffindor. Every time you made a save you looked right at him. And then there were those looks at breakfast and lunch and dinner-”

“Okay, I get it,” Harry said, irritably. “I don’t see how that would be indicative of there being someone else, though.”

“It’s not. Turning him down was,” Teddy said, knowingly. 

“Do you think anyone else-?”

“Probably not,” Ted said. “I doubt anyone was really looking, besides me, and I was only looking because someone else was looking at you. Someone I’ve always sort of respected.”

“Who?”

Ted looked at him in exasperation. “Who do you think, Harry?” When Harry didn’t reply he sighed and walked away, muttering something about all people named Harry being as observant as a piece of cardboard. 

Harry just shrugged and continued on. As he was walking to his first class however, he caught sight of the very person he had just been talking about. As Harry made eye contact with Michael in the halls, he felt his ears go red at the unwavering and slightly accusatory look he was giving him. Harry looked back, unable to break the gaze, hoping Michael would give some form of acknowledgment or gesture that would enable him to continue on his way. 

Instead of a simple nod or wave, Michael started coming over to Harry, maneuvering his way around the staring people around him. Harry, at a loss for what to do, let him.

“So, more then friends, then?” Michael said when he had fallen in step with Harry.

“Er, yeah,” Harry said, who thought it really wasn’t any of Michael's business anyway.

“You didn’t say anything, you know, before I asked you out,” Michael said, and there was that accusatory tone, the one that matched with his glare and all around presence he was giving off.

Harry felt a ripple of indignation go down his spine. Indignation and annoyance.

“And you didn’t say anything before you thought someone else wanted to be with me,” Harry shot back. 

Michael looked like he wanted to reply but thought but thought better of it. Instead he turned an angry purple color and stalked off, shaking his head he did so. Harry sighed and continued on his way, determinedly thinking about the wonderful time he would have with Louis in Hogsmeade, and not about the hurt look at crossed Michael’s face when he voiced his truth. 

  
  


The next day, however, Harry would find that he would be let down in the biggest of ways.

It was on his way to breakfast that he heard the screams. They were frantic and although they weren’t ones that indicated any sort of real, life threatening danger, they still made Harry’s pulse quicken. He started running when he heard them, their panicked pitches getting louder as he neared the Great Hall and when he turned, he was met with an incredible scene.

The whole hall was in absolute disarray as what looked like three nifflers shot around the place, jumping on students and teachers to grab at silver and gold jewlery placed on various parts of their bodies. As the students tried to get away they upended benches and knocked over other students, most of the girls continually screaming as the nifflers shot around and wreaked destruction on the hall.

Quickly Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at one of the nifflers, which was climbing up the leg of one frantic girl to get at the silver brooch on her chest.

“ _ Immobilis,”  _ Harry said before the niffler froze, the young girl unceremoniously pushing it off and scurrying away. 

“ _ Immobilis,”  _ Said another voice, and Harry turned to find Professor Mcgonagall standing in the entryway of the doors, looking thunderous. After she had finally frozen the last one there was a great sound of shuffling and movement as everyone hurried to gather their belongings from the frozen nifflers. Then, the Professor waved her wand and all of the benches righted themselves.

Then, it was quiet.

Professor Mcgonagall surveyed the hall, looking murderous. Harry was suddenly reminded of the scene on Halloween night, the one where Professor Mcgonagall had asked who had laced everyone’s drinks with  _ Gigglewater _ .

_ No _ , Harry thought.  _ He wouldn’t do this. Not something so destructive. _

“I’m only going to ask this once,” said Professor Mcgonagall, severely. “What incredibly stupid and destructive student did this?”

“Ma’am,” said a familiar voice, and Harry turned sharply to see Michael walking forward. “I think I might have an idea of who did it.”

“Well then speak, boy,” she barked. “Tell me who did it.”

“It’s just a suspicion,” Michael said. “I might be wrong, but I  _ did _ hear Louis Tomlinson telling someone in the corridors yesterday that he would be doing something like this. I didn’t think he was serious though, he just mentioned it in passing, but I’m sure the person he was talking to knew all about it.” 

Although Michael had expressed the belief that he could be wrong, his tone said the exact opposite. Harry stared at him in disbelief. For a second, Michael met his eyes, and with a jolt of surprise Harry saw something there that made every nerve in his body go cold. It was a flash of something cold, something calculated, but before Harry could truly place it Michael was looking at the Headmistress again.

“Where is Louis Tomlinson?” she said.

There were some murmurs before someone spoke up: “He’s not here.”

“Someone go find him and send him straight to my office,” she ordered before turning back to Michael. “What student was Tomlinson talking to when you heard this?”

With a feeling of dread, Harry watched as Michael looked at Harry, a quick smirk flashing across his face before he said, “Harry Styles.”

 

Harry marched up to Professor Mcgonagall’s office in complete shock, his mind screaming at him in confusion. He didn’t understand this at all, didn’t understand why Michael would do this, why he would fabricate such an easily disproven lie. 

Suddenly, a scene started to unfold in his mind, a memory of the day before, a quick conversation that he hadn’t taken stock of until now due to the briefness of it. It was when Louis had caught up to Harry after one of their classes to walk to the next one together:

_ The corridors were packed with students, most of them throwing curious glances Louis and Harry’s way, some even going as far as to whisper behind their hands and point.  _

_ Trying to ignore this, Harry asked Louis, “Are you  _ really _ going to turn everyone’s clothes green?”  _

_ Louis laughed. “Probably not, unless I can’t find something better to do.” _

_ “You could just not pull a prank at all,” Harry offered, hopefully. _

_ Louis smiled, throwing him a sidelong glance. “Harry.” _

_ Harry sighed, “I know. I suppose it could be worse.” _

_ “Trust me,” Louis said. “I know where to draw the line. It’s not like I’m going to set a bunch of nifflers lose on the Great Hall, or put swelling solution in everyone’s jam. There’s just some things you can’t do.” _

_ “Agreed,” Harry said. _

 

It was an innocent conversation. It was quick and consisted of boundaries being set and understanding passing between two people who knew what lines shouldn’t be crossed. Harry couldn’t understand how anyone could find fault within it. He couldn’t possibly see any reason Michael’s lie shouldn’t be disproven. 

Unless the person he was trying to convince was a very angry teacher who seemed to be at the end of their tether, which is where Professor Mcgonagall very much seemed to be. As they were leaving the hall, Harry had turned to Professor Mcgonagall, words of outrage and denial on his lips when she immediately silenced him with a look. 

“Not now, Styles,” she had said, and her tone was so final Harry could only shut his mouth and follow her in silence, his mind screaming at him to just tell her the truth, tell her Michael was lying,  _ tell her _ they hadn’t done anything. 

When they reached her office she gestured for him to sit down, which he did, numbly. It was silent then as they waited. Harry watched as various portraits on the wall above her head snoozed, their eyelids drooped only three quarters of the way down, their snores too loud and perfectly timed to make Harry think they were actually asleep. One of them, however, one with a long white beard and soft blue eyes didn’t pretend to sleep. He simply stared at Harry, a cheery smile on his face, and Harry stared back, thinking he was going to be sick.

Finally, the door behind him opened and Harry turned in his seat to find Louis, whose eyes widened as they made contact with Harry. The look on his face said, clearly,  _ What is going on, and how the hell did  _ you _ get involved. _

“Take a seat, Tomlinson,” The Headmistress said, briskly.

Louis walked into the room and sat, glancing up at the portraits of the previous Headmasters hanging on the wall.

“Morning, Professor Dumbledore,” Louis said, waving slightly.

Harry snapped his gaze back to Dumbledore's, feeling slightly stupid for not recognizing him in the first place. Professor Dumbledore didn’t reply to Louis, probably correctly interpreting the precarious situation they were in, but Harry distinctly saw a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Professor Mcgonagall cleared her throat and Harry looked back at her. He was relieved to see that some of the angry red color seemed to have faded from her cheeks. But when she spoke, Harry still heard that controlled tightness about it that made his spine shiver.

“Tomlinson, I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t have believed it of you,” she said, angrily. “You’ve caused a great deal of trouble before, but  _ never _ have you resorted to such destruction. Explain yourself.”

“Professor,” said Louis. “I’m very sorry but I don’t have an explanation, because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Disgusted mutterings could be heard from several of the portraits lining the walls. Harry swallowed and tried to control his breathing.

Professor Mcgonagall narrowed her eyes and Harry wouldn't have been surprised to see steam issuing from her nostrils. 

“And  _ never _ have you ever lied to me. In all my years of having you at this school you have never stooped so low as to lie in the face of evidence.”

“Evidence?” Louis asked. 

“Yes,” she snapped. “I have a direct witness to the planning of your prank, Tomlinson. Michael Parkinson told me he heard you and Styles here talking in the corridors about releasing those nifflers.”

Louis was silent for a moment, and Harry could practically hear the cogs in his brain turning as he worked out what had happened. When it finally clicked, his mouth formed a large ‘O’.

“P-professor,” Louis stuttered, and it was the first time Harry could ever remember Louis stutter over anything. “That- that was completely out of context, we weren’t actually  _ planning-” _

_ “ _ So the conversation happened then,” she interrupted. “You were talking about letting loose three nifflers on the students in this school in hopes of causing destruction-”

“No!” Louis said. “We didn’t, I promise!”

“Tomlinson,” she said, severely. “It is not in your best interest to lie right now. You already admitted to the conversation.”

“Yes,” Louis said, desperately. “But that’s all it was, just a  _ conversation _ ! It was just some passing words between-”

Louis stopped and Harry looked at him sharply, questioningly. Why had he stopped? 

“Styles,” the professor said, turning to Harry. “Do you admit that this conversation happened?”

Harry stared at her, feeling like a large rock had jammed itself in his throat, effectively burying the voice he wanted to call forward. Slowly, feeling like he was sentencing himself to a horrible fate, he nodded.

She sighed, the disappointment clearly evident on her face, and Harry’s stomach turned over inside him. His eyes burned and he had never,  _ never _ felt worse about disappointing someone he really and truly respected.

“He didn’t help me,” Louis said, quietly. 

They both turned to stare at him.

“He didn’t help me plan it,” Louis repeated in a determined sort of way, looking away from Harry to stare into Professor Mcgonagall’s eyes. “I just mentioned it to him the other day as a joke to see if he would think I was serious. He obviously didn’t or he would have told you. It was all me, I set those nifflers loose today. Harry had nothing to do with it.”

They both continued to stare at him, dread rising in Harry so sharply it made him dizzy.

_ No _ , he thought.  _ No you didn’t, you know you didn’t, why the hell are you saying you did? _

“Very well,” Professor Mcgonagall said, glancing back at Harry. She said it as though she were tired, as though this conversation were causing her a great deal and that all she’d like to do was be done with it. Harry understood the feeling, had agreed with it only a few moments ago. But now all he wanted to do was argue with her, argue until he lost his voice and his eyelids drooped from exhaustion, until she believed him when he said they had nothing to do with it.

He stayed quiet instead, because Louis shot him a look that clearly said,  _ Don’t talk _ , and Harry trusted Louis even if he didn’t always agree with him.

“Tomlinson that is going to be fifty points from Slytherin,” she said, briskly. “And you will be suspended from all Hogsmeade trips until the end of the year.” 

The disappointment from this news only felt like the small plunk of a pebble falling into the pit of his stomach, the feeling of guilt and injustice about the whole situation burning greater than the loss of a silly Hogsmeade trip. Louis only looked at his knees, sadly. He nodded. 

“And if you ever pull anything like this ever again,” she continued. “I will have no choice but to expel you.”

Louis looked up at her then, at the seriousness in her expression, and blew out a long breath. “Yes ma’am,” he said, quietly. 

She surveyed them both over her square glasses, her beady eyes bearing into them intently. Finally, she said, “You both may go now.”

When they had made it past the gargoyles that stood at the foot of the stairs they stopped, looking at each other.

“ _ Why _ ?” Harry suddenly burst out, loudly. “Louis,  _ why _ did you lie? We both know you didn’t do it!”

“Because Harry,” Louis said, almost before Harry had even finished talking. “It would have been difficult proving that I didn’t do it. It was incredibly easy however, to prove that you didn't either.” 

“But- but you even said yesterday that you knew where the line was, that you knew not to cross it! You  _ know _ better than that, Louis and she should too!”

“I know that too,” said Louis, quietly. “But Harry, listen, she wouldn’t have believed us otherwise-”

“We could have made her believe!” Harry interrupted. “We could have told her the truth and- and-”

“And what, Harry?”  Louis interrupted. “Forced her to believe something that sounds far fetched anyway? No, Harry look-”

Louis took hold of Harry’s shoulders, holding him gently but firmly in place, and it was then that Harry realized he was shaking. With anger, with shame, or with the injustice of the whole situation- Harry had no idea. He was just grateful he had Louis there to steady him.

“I  _ know _ we didn’t do it, okay? I know that we weren’t planning anything and that she should have trusted us but, honestly, it’s  _ okay _ . It’s going to be okay.”

Then Louis pulled Harry to him and hugged him, tightly. Harry immediately wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, clinging to him, trying to force down his feelings of anger and injustice, using the fresh laundry smell of Louis’ robes to drown out everything else.

“I’m sorry we can’t go on our Hogsmeade date,” Harry whispered. 

“That’s okay,” Louis said, and Harry felt him smile into his neck. “We’ll just have to go more simple, like a pumpkin patch date or a quidditch pitch date or a breakfast date-”

Harry giggled, crinkling his nose. “I’ve never really been into breakfast.”

Louis pulled back slightly to stare incredulously into Harry’s eyes. “Are you serious?” 

Harry nodded.

Louis sighed and pulled him back into the hug, muttering something about ‘luck’ and ‘the sanity of certain people he chose to fraternize with’, Harry laughing all the while.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, regardless of Harry’s better judgment, he tracked Michael down after potions, knowing it was probably a bad idea, but unable to resist anyway. 

“You don’t have to,” Louis had said when he had mentioned it at breakfast. “Really, it’s okay.”

“I really do though,” Harry had said, stabbing at his eggs with a little more force than was truly necessary. “I just need to know why.” 

Louis had looked at him then, and Harry knew that Louis knew why and if he were being truly honest with himself, he knew why as well. But he needed to hear it. He needed to hear Michael admit the petty and ridiculous reason for framing the both of them for his prank. He needed to hear it from his own mouth and if he didn’t hear it soon he might hex him into oblivion the next chance he got.

“Michael,” Harry said from where he stood against the wall, getting the Gryffindor’s attention as he walked out of Transfiguration. 

Michael started and then stopped, staring at Harry in the doorway, causing the kids behind him to mumble in irritation. Ignoring this, he moved out of the way and made his way toward Harry, his eyes narrowed.

“I’d like a word,” Harry said when Michael reached him.

“I actually have to get to-”

“It’ll only take a minute,” Harry interrupted. “Follow me.”

Knowing he would follow, Harry turned and walked in the direction of the charms corridor, slipping into an unused classroom, Michael trailing after him.

Harry turned. “So,” he said. “Care to tell me why you did it?”

Michael looked at him, huffing out an annoyed breath. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“I would,” Harry said. “Considering I just asked you to tell me, rather politely too, considering the circumstances.”

Michael’s eye’s darted around the classroom, at the desks pushed up against the wall, the cushions piled in one corner and the blackboard that had a number of random defense spells written upon it. Finally, he said, “I thought you wanted to be with me.”

Harry, who found this explanation incredibly vague, snorted. “What gave you that idea?”

“You always stared at me,” Michael said. “Since fifth year, when I was made Gryffindor captain. Whenever I looked at you, you were already looking.”

Harry sighed, bringing a hand up to swipe at his bottom lip. Realizing what he was doing, he almost smiled. How long did it take to inherit a habit from someone? 

“Alright, I liked you,” Harry admitted, refocusing. “That still isn’t an explanation.”

It could have been. Harry knew this. He knew that any intelligent person would have realized by now what Michael was getting at. Harry was an intelligent person. But he really needed him to say it, needed to see the look on his face when he explained himself, needed him to realize the idiocy and insanity of what he had done. 

“If you liked me,” Michael said, looking pained. “Why did you reject me?”

“If you knew I liked you, why did it take you so long to ask me out?” Harry countered. 

“You didn’t answer my-”

“Because I got over you,” Harry said. “Because, unsurprisingly, I got tired of waiting for someone who obviously didn’t care about me in the first place-”

“I did care!” Michael interjected, angrily. “I cared a lot more than that rule breaking, annoying Slytherin-”

“If you want your head to remain the same size I would be careful with your words,” Harry warned, plunging his hands into his robes. “We were having such a civilized conversation, I’d hate for you to ruin it with your jealousy.”

Michael’s face turned white and he looked as he though he wanted to say more on the subject of Slytherins, but after a glance at the wand that Harry now held, he pressed his lips together tightly and nodded. 

“As I was saying,” said Harry. “I fell for someone else, as people with feelings tend to do. That still does not explain why you did what you did.”

“Doesn’t it?” Michael said angrily. 

“No,” Harry replied, just as severely. “You see, normal people who get rejected usually get over it by eating a pint of ice cream, maybe venting and verbally abusing their rejector to their friends, which would have been understandable. You, on the other hand attempted to get someone expelled-”

“Come off it,” Michael said, scathingly. “He wouldn’t have been expelled.”

“How do you know” Harry shot back. “You weren’t in that office when Professor Mcgonagall was accusing us of things we didn’t do. You didn’t hear the anger in her voice, or the disappointment. You were back in the Great Hall, probably laughing with your friends at your little idea of a joke. You could have ruined someone’s life, Michael.”

“It wasn’t that serious,” Michael said defensively. “It was just a prank.”

“That you accused someone else of pulling. Which brings me back to my original question: Why did you accuse Louis of pulling the prank? Why did you set him up?”

Michael was quiet for a moment, his face turning red, either with anger or embarrassment or both, Harry couldn’t tell. He only waited.

“Don’t you know what people were saying about me? What they kept asking me after you rejected me?”

Harry shook his head.

“People were saying it was because I was Pureblood that you said no. They kept asking me why a Mudblood didn’t think I was worthy enough to go out with.” 

All of the color drained from Harry’s face. His whole body froze as though he had been hit by a full body bind curse. The words kept echoing in his mind and Michael’s tone when he had said the word ‘Mudblood’, the casual use of it, the  _ familiar  _ way it sounded coming past his lips, made Harry’s stomach turn. 

Suddenly the door to the classroom opened and a burst of light made Harry look away. When he  looked back he saw Michael hanging upside down above him, as though an invisible cord had drawn around his ankles and hoisted him into the air. 

“That,” Louis said as he walked into the room, an extendable ear in one hand and his wand in the other, “is a very rude word.”

“Louis!” Harry said in surprise. “What- how did you-”

“Sorry, Harry,” Louis apologized, glaring at the cursing figure above him. “I know it wasn’t right to listen, but I was worried he’d try to pull something. I think it’s safe to say that he’s got a bit of a temper. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Of course,” Harry said faintly. “It’s fine, but-”

“ _ I’ve  _ got a temper?!” Michael roared from above. “That’s real funny coming from you!”

“Well I’m not the word who used a horribly offensive and derogatory word, am I?” Louis said. “So my anger is actually kind of justified, don’t you think?”

“Let me down!” Michael yelled. “Let me down before I-”

With a flick of his wand Harry thought the word  _ Liberacorpus, _ sending Michael crashing to the floor, cursing all the while. 

“Aw, Harry,” Louis said, glaring. “Why’d you let him down, I really wanted to know what he would have done.”

“Just you wait-,” Michael hissed, glaring up at them.

“Enough,” Harry said, firmly. “You know full well that you deserved that, Michael. If not for the word you used then at least for what you did to Louis and me.”

“I thought you were supposed to be the mature Head Boy,” Michael said scathingly, his cheeks red from embarrassment. “The one who always took the high road? Suspending me in the air and threatening to hex me doesn’t seem very Head Boyish, don’t you think?”

“Counting on that, were you?” said Louis. “Hoping he’d just forget about one of the most pathetic moments of your life and move on?”

Michael shot up to his feet and moved towards Louis, coming face to face with him, getting so close their noses almost touched. Louis did not back away, nor did he show the slightest hint of fear. He only matched Michael’s furious expression with his own. Harry’s eyes widened and he started forward, meaning to pull them apart, but Louis held out a hand, and Harry stopped.

“You think nobody has noticed, right?” Michael spat. “You think nobody has seen how you’ve drooled after him all these years? Well we have, Louis. We’ve all seen it and it’s disgusting, absolutely disgusting.” 

Harry felt his face burn in indignation, in anger. Louis didn’t show any sign that this affected him, though. In fact, he smiled. 

“Loving someone isn’t disgusting, Michael,” he said, softly, dangerously. 

Then he stepped away, still staring at Michael, extending his hand out toward Harry, offering it for him to take. Harry took it, lacing his fingers through Louis’ and clinging on. Louis squeezed gently. 

“While this was a very nice little chat, I think it’s about time we end it.” Louis said, quietly. “Before we go though, I’d just like to give you a little warning.” 

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” Michael said, sardonically.

“Stay away from us,” Louis said, seriously. “Don’t try to pull anything like that again. There are a few pranks that I’ve yet to try out, due to the danger involved in them. However, I think the risk would be quite worth it if it meant giving you what you deserve.” 

And with that Louis turned and headed for the door, pulling Harry along with him. 

“I thought you couldn’t pull anymore pranks or else you’d get expelled,” Michael called, angrily. 

Louis ignored this and continued through the doorway with Harry in tow. Harry eventually fell in step with him and they were both silent as they walked down the corridor. Harry didn’t have a clue where they were going, nor did he care. His ears were still ringing with the previous conversation and his hand was warm in Louis’ and his cheeks were red with some emotion he couldn’t identify. 

Suddenly though, he came to a stop. “Stop,” he said, although he needn’t have. Louis had already been pulled to a stop with him. 

“I just-,” Harry said. “I just need to breath for a second. Can we-”

“Of course,” Louis said, immediately. “Here-” And he pulled him into another empty classroom, shutting the door firmly behind them.

It was silent as he caught his breath, his thoughts raging through his head at a speed that made him quite dizzy. 

“You were listening at the door.” Harry stated, grabbing onto a thought blindly as it raced through his mind. 

“I know,” Louis said. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have. You just worried me at breakfast this morning, I wanted to make sure you weren’t going to hex him or something.”

Harry laughed humorlessly. “Yes, you really helped, doing it for me and all.”

“Ah,” Louis said, his ears going red. “Sorry for that too. I just heard him say that word and I saw red, I didn’t really know what I was doing.”

“It’s okay,” Harry said, quickly. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m just trying to make sense of it all. The conversation didn’t really go how I wanted it to.”

Louis nodded, his expression understanding. “You know why he did it though, right? I mean, you know it wasn’t because of what people were saying.”

“I know,” Harry said. “I mean, I’m sure that didn’t help. But I know it was because he was hurt I wanted you instead of him. Suddenly I wasn’t pining after someone I couldn’t have and he didn’t like that.”

“No,” Louis said, quietly. “He didn’t.”

It was quiet for a while as Harry breathed deeply, letting the thoughts play out in his mind, the conversation going through his memory in angry flashes. Louis watched him, waiting patiently as he sorted through it all. Harry appreciated it, appreciated the distance he allowed him, appreciated that he understood that he didn’t want a hug or to be held, but to just be in the presence of someone who cared. He appreciated it probably more than Louis knew.

In that moment, two things suddenly stood out in Harry’s mind. One of them, he didn’t completely understand, but the other he saw with absolute clarity. 

“Louis, have you really stopped pranking for the year?” He asked, looking into his eyes.

Louis shrugged, a small smile on his face. “Looks like it. I don’t want to get expelled, do I?”

Harry shook his head. A small spark ignited inside him, a burning need to show Louis that he cared just as much, feeling that mere words wouldn’t be enough. And then, he had an idea, a brilliant yet terrifying idea that scared him yet lit a fire in his veins.

Smiling, Harry said, “Want to go get lunch, then?”

Louis returned his smile, a little confused but relieved nonetheless. “Sure, I could go for some lunch.”

 

The next morning, Harry started planning. He sat down at a table in the Hufflepuff common room, a stack of blank parchment laid out before him and a quill ready in his hand. After a quick glance around he got to work, scribbling quickly across the parchment, muttering under his breath as he wrote out his plan. 

He worked for hours, the sun moving across the sky outside the castle, shining through the basement windows, periodically casting certain parts of the room in shadow. People went in and out of the common room, the chattering in it rising and dying down as people went to lunch and came back, or went outside to enjoy the sunshine and a Saturday off from their studies.

Harry took no note of this but continued to work diligently, that same fire burning through him, keeping him from stopping or halting in his progress. It was only when the hunger pains in his stomach got hard to ignore that he got up and headed to dinner, a slight ache in his hand.

“Fancy seeing you here,” said a light voice when he sat down. 

Harry smiled at Louis, reaching over to scoop some mashed potatoes onto his plate. 

“How was detention?” Harry asked, conversationally. Louis still had the detentions to do from when he put  _ Gigglewater _ in everyone’s drinks. 

Louis groaned, his head falling forward onto his arms in a dramatic way. “Horrible,” came his muffled reply. “Just horrible. She won’t let me use magic at all. I don’t know how she expects me to finish it all in only two months.”

Harry chuckled, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. Professor Mcgonagall had assigned Louis the task of hand cleaning all of the suits of armor in the castle, which seemed to prove no small feat. 

“How did the studying go?” Louis asked, sitting up.

Harry choked on his drink, causing Louis to thump his back, hard. “Fine,” he stuttered out, his face red. “It was fine.” 

Louis looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “Seems like it,” he said, amused, before launching into a story of how he managed to convince Peeves to drop a few dungbombs outside of Filch’s office. Harry listened, laughing uproariously when Louis mimicked Filch’s face when he realized Peeve’s had done it. 

When they were done eating they walked out of the Great Hall together, chatting and laughing with each other. As they passed through the doorway Louis suddenly pointed at something behind Harry, “Watch out…” he muttered and Harry turned, catching Michael's eye.

Michael glared but continued up the staircase, his neck and cheeks an angry, blotchy color. 

Harry shook his head and turned back to Louis. “Just forget about it. It’s over.”

Louis nodded, glaring after him. “You’re right,” he said, his features relaxing, turning his attention back to Harry. “So, heading back to your common room?”

“Yeah,” Harry said. “I’ll see you for breakfast tomorrow, right?”

Louis nodded. “Of course, good night Harry.”

Without really thinking about it, Harry leaned forward and kissed Louis’ cheek, earning a surprised gasp. “Goodnight, Louis,” he whispered, drawing away. “Sweet dreams.”

Louis stared as Harry backed away, his mouth slightly open in a way that made Harry giggle. Slowly, Louis shook his head, a grin starting to form on his face. Harry laughed and turned around, heading to his common room, feeling then more than ever that he was making the right decision.

 

A few weeks later his plan was in place. All of his preparations and planning were finally going to pay off, and Harry was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. It was the first, and most likely last, time he was every going to do anything like this and he only hoped the person he was doing it for would find it as amusing as he was hoping it would be.

In those few, Harry and Louis had become closer. Not physically, the kiss on the cheek was the last time they had really touched, besides brushing arms and knees while walking in the corridors or eating at mealtimes. They did learn a great deal about each other though, and shared some deep conversations during walks around the grounds. They never kissed though.They might have been holding back. Harry didn’t know for what, but he was also hoping that little spell of restraint might be broken as well.

He didn’t know. He only hoped.

As they walked to together to breakfast, Harry thought he might be sick with nerves. Is this how Louis usually felt before something like this? Like he was going to throw up? Probably not, Harry decided. He was such a pro, Harry doubted he felt anything more than excitement.

“Louis,” Harry said, taking his elbow and pulling him to a stop before they entered the Great Hall.

Louis looked up at him curiously. “Yes, Harry?”

“I’d like to warn you about something,” Harry said.

Louis raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“I’ve been planning something these last few weeks.”

Louis’ eyes widened. “Oh?”

Harry nodded. “And I’d just like to warn you about it.”

“What have you planned?” Louis said, obviously trying to sound nonchalant. 

Harry smirked and winked. “You’ll see,” he said, before pulling him into the Great Hall. 

Louis made an indignant sound behind him. “Oh, I see what you’re doing, Styles. Very funny.”

Harry grinned, glancing at him.. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Louis hummed, shaking his head and giving Harry a look that made him laugh.

When they sat down to eat, Louis started pestering him to let him in on the secret. “Okay, you made your joke, now tell me what you’ve done.”

“Can’t. It’s a surprise.”

“Oh, come on Harry-”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Lou,” Harry said holding up his hands. “My hands are tied here.”

“They look very free to me,” Louis grumbled, poking at the bacon on his plate. After a few moments in which Harry dug into his food, Louis said, “Please just tell me, the suspense is killing me.”

Harry, who had taken a large bite of toast, pointed to his mouth full of food then shrugged, giving a look that said,  _ What are you going to do? _

Louis gave a noise of exasperation and looked around, obviously trying to find anything amiss, hoping to figure out on his own what Harry had done.

Harry swallowed, smirking. “You’re not going to be able to figure it out, Louis. Just be patient.”

Louis started muttering to himself, shifting restlessly on his seat as he did so. 

Suddenly, a noise as the back of the hall near the doors caught Harry’s attention. He looked over and saw Teddy, smiling and twirling his wand nonchalantly. He had a bell in his other hand, the signal Harry had decided to use for when it was time. 

Harry turned to Louis, grinning. “Done with your food?” Louis opened his mouth but Harry grabbed his hand and pulled him up, “Good, let’s go.” 

“What- Harry!” Louis sputtered as Harry dragged him down the hall, ignoring the mutterings around him. 

A faint whirring sound could now be heard and as Harry pulled Louis through the doors and into the entrance hall, he heard the confused voices of many of the students back in the hall. When he reached Teddy, he stopped, pulling Louis to a stop next to him. “All the teachers in as well?” He murmured.

Teddy nodded. “Professor Flitwick just ambled in a few moments ago, he should be at the staff table now.”

Harry nodded and looked toward the staff table, nodding in a satisfied way when he saw it full. “Alright then,” he said. “Now or never then, I guess.”

And, ignoring Louis’ questions and the jump in his stomach, Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the ceiling, where a mess of white clouds hung, unnoticed by the rest of the students and staff as they blended in with the enchanted ceiling. Muttering a charm under his breath, there was a sound like a gust of wind as he activated the spell, and then silence.

Then, it started to rain.

Great, huge drops of rain fell from the clouds above and onto the students and staff below. Many people shrieked, and soon it was pouring on them all, the sound of thunder cracking from above. Harry, Teddy, and Louis watched as everyone scrambled to get up, their voices and yells drowned out by the downpour of rain. 

In a flash the rain stopped. Harry thought he heard a sigh of relief go about the room.

Then, a gust of wind swept through the hall, and everyone’s robes whipped around them as the unseen force caused them to fall and clutch each other for support. 

The wind stopped. Everyone looked around in fright. Harry heard Louis laugh in surprise. 

Pure white flakes started to drift down from the ceiling, and Harry laughed as someone yelled in wonderment, “It’s snowing!”  Soon, the whole hall was covered in a blanket of white now, the wet and shivering students staring around at each other in confusion and amazement. 

It stopped nowing then and Harry looked toward the staff table. Professor Flitwick was standing on his chair, his wand pointed toward the ceiling. Harry looked up and sure enough, the clouds, the clouds Harry had struggled to perfect for the last few weeks, were gone.

Harry stepped forward then and took out his wand. Several people backed away. Smiling slightly, he waved it and the snow on the ground and on the tables instantly melted. The clothes on everyone’s backs dried and the people in the hall stopped shivering. All was how it should be in the Great Hall.

Professor Mcgonagall stood up, looking like she had been hit in the face with a Confusion Hex. 

“It was me,” Harry said loudly, before she could ask. “I’ll just go ahead and meet you in your office, then?”

Professor Mcgonagall stared at him as though she had never seen him before. She nodded, once, a swift jerk of her head before she made her way down the Great Hall and out the doors, heading in the direction of her office, a dazed look on her face.

“I’ll be up in a minute!” He called, to which she only shook her head.

Harry turned back to Louis, who was staring at him with wonder.

“How-” he started.

“Not here,” Harry interrupted, taking his hand once more. He pulled him in the direction of the basement, where his common room was hidden. They turned a corner and, after making sure nobody was there, Harry faced Louis.

“Before you ask, it was incredibly difficult.” Harry said. “And took forever to plan. But it was worth it. Completely and totally worth it.”

“But-,” Louis said. “Why?”

“Because I wanted to show you how much I care about you. Words just didn’t seem like enough.”

Louis stared at Harry, a look of pure disbelief on his face. Slowly he started shaking his head, seemingly at a loss for words. 

“If you don’t like it-” Harry started.

“Oh, shut up, will you,” Louis said, and pulled Harry towards him, their lips sliding together in a kiss that sent off a million fireworks on his chest.

When they pulled away, Harry’s cheeks were red and he was satisfied to see that Louis’ were too.

“So you did like it?” Harry said, beaming.

Louis rolled his eyes. “You are something else, Harry. Truly something else.”

Harry grinned, nuzzling his face into Louis’ neck, biting softly. Louis gasped, “Harry-”

Harry pulled away, loving the way Louis’ eyes shone and how quickly his breath went past his lips.

“I have to go get punished,” Harry started.

“Oh, please don’t word it that way,” Louis groaned, rolling his head forward to rest on Harry’s shoulder. 

Harry laughed, bringing a hand up to cup his neck. “I couldn’t resist,” he said. “I really do have to go, though. Professor Mcgonagall is waiting for me, and I know she’s not too happy.”

Louis brought his head up. “No, she’s definitely not.”

Harry smiled, staring into Louis’ eyes, taking note of the green specks that danced near his pupil. “Later, then?”

Louis leaned forward, kissing him softly. “Later,” he murmured against his lips.

Harry had to admit, it was a while before he finally made it to Professor Mcgonagall’s office.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked it let me know by commenting or leaving kudos, it would mean a lot! If anyone wants to follow me on Tumblr is anchortied, just like my user here. Thank you again!


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